Natureach - Client groups and measurments

The Wellbeing Services County of North Ostrobothnia, Support and Competence centre Eskoo, The Care unit and the Support unit of Eskoo: housing services for people with disabilities

Support and Competence Centre Eskoo is a national pioneer in its field in the application of nature-based methods in its services. The pilot creates a virtual technology service model based on the impact of nature-based interventions on clients with reduced mobility and demanding round-a-clock care. The clients need high psychosocial support and support for challenging behaviour and communication. The aim is to reinforce the clients’ functioning, positive experiences, quality of life, well-being, and sense of inclusion through environments and natural elements that are relevant to the client.

Vaasa central hospital: Eating disorder clinic (University of Vaasa)

The Eating disorder clinic provides special healthcare by a multi-professional team. They offer both intensive periods and outpatient visits for eating disorder patients. New patients need medical referral from health centre, occupational health or private reception. Incoming referrals are processed at the outpatient team meeting. Patients come to examination period when care begins, and at the end of the period we agree on the continued care and make a care plan. Care methods include support in eating situations, individual and group therapy, couples and family therapy, visits to the nutritional therapist, the doctor's appointments, art therapy and physiotherapy.

Palliative medicine, Umeå (Umeå University)

The aim for this pilot is to investigate the possibility to use virtual nature experiences for palliative patients who are treated with advanced home care, and thereby increasing well-being and alleviating pain and anxiety.

Österåsen: Lifestyle support services (Region Västernorrland)

This pilot will take place at Lifestyle Medicine Österåsen outside Sollefteå in Västernorrland. This clinic has well-established evidence based therapeutic lifestyle treatments delivered by a multi-professional team. In addition to the ordinary treatment, participants receive a nature-based intervention three times/week during the ordinary three weeks visits at Österåsen. The nature-based intervention means to spend one hour three times/week at a chosen spot in the forest at Österåsen. After the three weeks visits, participants will receive VR-headsets with nature scenes to use at home 30 min/three times per week for six months.

The aim for this client pilot is to use IRL- and VR-nature to improve lifestyle. To introduce VR as a method to bring the nature indoors as a tool to encourage the life style changers and others to be more active and go out in the IRL-nature. Also, to provide some of the VR-tools to nature and health entrepreneurs as a PR-tool and to be used at bad weather.

Övertorneå Municipality: Senior care services at Särkivaara-gården (Luleå University of Technology)

Övertorneå Municipality has four elderly care units. Särkivaara-gården is the largest, placed in the centre of Övertorneå with nature view from windows and nearby possibilities to visits outside in the garden. This unit is participating in the NATUREACH project. Särkivaara gården has two caring units placed on two floors. Nurses, assistant nurses, physiotherapist, occupational therapist, VR-technician, and medical doctors make up the staff at this unit. In addition, the unit has close co-operation with the healthcare centre.

Due to previous SALAR-project (2020-2022), the municipality and the units at Särkivaara gården have knowledge and experience of testing and implementing new digital devices in their organisation. This also means that the older persons living at the care units and their relatives has experiences of testing different devices. This is seen as a strength as previous experiences enhance the organizations attitude and interest of testing new innovative solutions such as in the NATUREACH project, to support health among the older people in need of care as well as among their staff. Thus, the aim of this client pilot is to promote healthy homes and sustainable living, as well as to combat loneliness of older adults living in elderly care units.