Photo: Loren Biser | Unsplash
Henriette Bringsjord runs Impulssenter, a farm outside of Oslo, Norway, where people diagnosed with dementia can live and tap into their impulses to work, socialize and “be part of life again. Bringsjord took over the “care farm” from her parents who started it 20 years ago. Instead of centering their identity on being a person who needs care, her goal is to give the farmers — "caretakers," she calls them — something that they can care for by assigning them simple tasks on the farm and creating an environment where they can enjoy being among nature and each other. While the farm doesn't replace full-time care, it functions as a sort of day care — offering part-time relief to at-home caregivers. The care farm represents an example of social prescribing, a rapidly spreading practice through which health workers shift from focusing on a person's symptoms and shortcomings and asking, "What's the matter with them?" to focusing on their interests and strengths and asking, "What matters to them?" The care that is both given and received by the caretakers is life-affirming and uplifting for all involved.
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