Green Care Forest projects for the elderly

The effect of the forest on the well-being of older people is increasingly being researched. In the present work it is shown which wishes and needs on the one hand as well as obstacles and fears on the other hand exist when Green Care forest offers are made available for older people in Carinthia. Forest owners, employees and residents of nursing homes as well as elderly people still living independently were interviewed by means of semi-standardized questionnaires. Forest owners and employees of nursing homes locate the biggest problems in connection with liability issues and legal framework conditions and emphasize the importance of joint planning of such offers in advance in order to be able to avoid conflicts in the use of the forest. For the senior citizens interviewed, the greatest obstacles are the high effort required to reach the forest and a lack of infrastructure in the vicinity. It would be important for them to be accompanied by a competent guide when going out into the forest.