Two groups in the society have a problem. The aging population of Finland is suffering from loneliness. On the other hand, for mental patients a person who listens is crucial in the healing process. Bringing those groups together can be one approach to solve two problems.
Elderly persons want to talk, patients need to talk. Through collaborating for a shared aim, patients, elderly people and citizens can form new relationships and make patients to take one step further to a normal life.
WHY DID WE CHOOSE SENIORS?
Nearly one quarter of the population of Finland is 60 years or older. Loneliness is common in this groups, which leads to health problems and the need for medical treatment. Simultaneously, there is a lack of caretakers for elderly people. The demographic change will make this situation even more severe. We would like to give them a new task in life.
Patients on the other hand are in a similar situation. They are isolated and suffer from loneliness. They have problems to motivate themselves to leave the apartment. As empathetic persons were crucial in the healing process, doing activities together with other persons and finding the person believing in them gives hope. Patients would like to live a normal life, but the prevailing social stigma makes it complicated. However, this stigma can be overcome – by getting to know the patients and getting more information about mental illnesses. By showing, that the illness is part of a patient, but does not make him / her less human, it will be made easier to reduce the threshold of getting in touch.
For patients, VihreäMuutos helps to solve the following problems:
- patients do not have to hide their illness
- fight against loneliness and isolation
- have a reason to leave the house
- company of people in a similar situation working towards a common aim
- to learn how to live with the illness
- building self confidence
- one step towards living a normal life
The goal of VihreäMuutos is to improve the life of both groups of people by bringing them together and integrate mental health care more into society.
Plants are means to achieve that goal. Vihreä Muutos is using plants as a medium to bring people together. Mixed groups of 4-6 people, both patients and elderly people would be formed.
Taking care of plants in a group requires coordination among the group members. The gardening activity can be used to start a conversation. Furthermore, it is rewarding to see the plant growing – and in the case of vegetables, you can cook and eat them together. Moreover, growing plants is a slow process, which gives people the chance to get to know each other slowly.
The space supports this. The function of the space would be to grow plants and have a place to meet. There would be a café included for spending time and cooking together. VihreäMuutos should be integrated into mental health care and could serve as a meeting point for patients, society and organisations within mental healthcare.
BENEFITS OF VIHREÄ MUUTOS
Patients and seniors can form new relationships, and spend time outside their homes. Having people around and doing activities together helps to decrease loneliness and speeds up recovery process for the patients. At Vihreä Muutos mental patients and seniors also get information about healthcare services.
HOW TO INVOLVE MENTAL PATIENTS IN VIHREÄ MUUTOS?
Patients should be introduced slowly to Vihreä Muutos by arranging therapy sessions in the space. The patient therefore gets to know the enciroment from the beginning on. Part of the therapy is to get motivated to reintegrate into the society and to share ownerships of plants.
HOW TO INTEGRATE VIHREÄ MUUTOS INTO PSYCHIATRIC HEALTHCARE?
In addition to the therapy sessions held at Vihreä Muutos, the Vihreä Muutos café could be used by various parties in mental healthcare such as hospitals, outpatient clinics and 3rd sector organisations as a meeting point. By integration of Vihreä Muutos into the therapy, not only mental healthcare and society get closer to each other, but also different actors within the field of mental healthcare.
CORE PRINCIPLES OF VIHREÄ MUUTOS
The core principles for VihreäMuutos are:
Empathy – a person who understands the patient’s situation; VihreäMuutos can be a starting point for a friendship. Empathetic persons are crucial in the healing process of patients, they give hope and help them to live a normal life.
Hope – give the hope that life is worth living and to learn how to live with the illness. Hope is very much connected to empathetic persons.
Equality – VihreäMuutos does not create a situation, where one person asks the other for a favour – both groups of people help each other, and are therefore equal.
WHAT PROBLEMS DOES VIHREÄ MUUTOS SOLVE?
• Patients do not have to hide their illness - they can tell their enviroment about their problem in a respectful way.
• They can fight against loneliness and isolation.
• One of the main purposes of Vihreä Muutos is to get mental patients and seniors outside from their home.
• Through Vihreä Muutos company of people in a similar situation is working towards a common aim.
• Mental patients can learn how to live with their illness and build self confidence. They are also working for acceptance in society and contect of patient.
The beauty of VihreäMuutos is that it solves what Koskinen et al. call in their study about healthcare in Finland the “biggest long-term challenges for health care”: the development of services for the elderly and mental health patients. Through thinking outside of the box, the amount of caretakers for both groups will be increased by helping each other. As loneliness is a cause for illnesses, the amount of long-term medical costs can be decreased.
Therefore, VihreäMuutos is not only helping the patients and elderly people, but also healthcare organisations in working more efficiently and the society for getting more information about mental health.
References:
Koskinen, S.; Aromaa, A.; Huttunen, J.; Teperi, J. (editors) 2006. Health in Finland. Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, Helsinki.