Bringing back memories on the farm: People with dementia should recharge their batteries when they visit the farm
Created: 06/05/2022, 08:00
By: Andreas Steppan
Collecting sensory impressions in agriculture: The initiators (from left) Ute Reuter, Ellen Wagner and Ursula Fiechtner want to make this possible when visiting dementia patients and their relatives on the farm.
© ARNDT PROHL
With a new offer from the Tölzer Caritas contact point for old and self-employed together with the specialist office for caring relatives, the senior citizens' advisory board and district farmer Ursula Fiechtner, dementia patients and relatives are to draw strength from visits to the farm.
Wackersberg – Hearing, seeing, feeling, smelling and tasting: sensory impressions can be an important contribution to activating the abilities of people with dementia.
There is a lot to perceive in every respect on farms.
This idea is the basis of a new offer that the Tölzer Caritas contact point for old and self-employed would like to establish in cooperation with the specialist office for caring relatives, the senior citizens' advisory board and district farmer Ursula Fiechtner: Once a month, dementia patients and their relatives should have the opportunity to Visit the farm of the Fiechtner family in Rothenrain (municipality of Wackersberg).
Inclusive farm: A TV report served as inspiration
The project is entitled “Inclusive farm”.
Inspiration for this came from a television report about a similar regular campaign coordinated by the Lechrain Alzheimer's Society.
"That's a great thing, we could do that too," said Ursula Fiechtner.
She quickly found a comrade-in-arms in Ute Reuter, a native of Tölzer, with whom Fiechtner works on the district’s senior citizens’ advisory board and who is also involved in the Alt & Self-employed association.
Organizationally, they are supported by Caritas.
You can find more current news from the region around Bad Tölz at Merkur.de/Bad Tölz.
People with dementia should be able to go exploring as they please
It is planned that once a month a small group of people with dementia will come to the farm, accompanied by the Fiechtner family.
There the guests get coffee and homemade cakes and can then go on a discovery tour as they please, for example to visit the calves in the pasture, pet cats or rabbits or go for a walk in the idyllic surroundings and enjoy the wonderful view.
A "leasing horse", as Fiechtner jokingly says, is also made available for the appointments from the neighborhood.
"Once they're there, it flows all by itself," Fiechtner is convinced.
The experiences on the farm should awaken buried memories
For those suffering from dementia, the visits should be an opportunity to get fresh impetus from the new environment.
Her everyday life is often monotonous, and her illness is usually associated with social withdrawal: those around her are often afraid of contact.
On the farm they should be able to meet people again and experience positive feelings.
Those affected may also find reference points to buried memories by smelling, tasting and touching.
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An afternoon on the farm also allows relatives to breathe deeply
But the relatives can also recharge their batteries on such an afternoon, so the hope of the initiators.
"They are often at the end of their strength", said Ute Reuter.
Other joint activities are often no longer possible with a demented partner.
"Going to a concert together, for example, is difficult, if only because the dementia patient usually doesn't stay seated for two hours, but needs movement again and again," says Ellen Wagner from the Alt & Selbstständig contact point.
In the stress of everyday care, a visit to the farm is on the one hand a carefree moment of togetherness, on the other hand an opportunity to meet other people who are going through the same thing.
"You can then exchange ideas in a relaxed atmosphere: How are you?
Where did you turn to?” says Wagner and summarizes:
Sponsors welcome
A group of visitors should be no more than ten to twelve people.
It is important to the initiators that the afternoons are free for the participants.
Sponsors are welcome to make this possible.
The district farmer also hopes that other farms will follow her example, so that such an offer can also be made in the northern district, for example.
Dates and registration:
The first visit to the farm in Rothenrain is planned for Wednesday, June 8, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., and then always on the second Wednesday of the month.
Registration is required.
Interested parties should contact the old and self-employed contact point, telephone number 0 80 41/7 93 16-103, or e-mail address: CZ-Toel-Kontaktstelle@caritasmuenchen.de
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