Green Care can provide benefits for individuals and for our public services, economy, society and climate.
Green Care interventions can achieve multiple outcomes simultaneously by taking a holistic approach to an individual’s health and social needs. The benefits of Green Care for an individual include:
- Improvements to an individual’s physical and mental health
- Occasions to connect socially with others
- Opportunities for learning, education and skills development
- Reduced reliance on health and social care services in the future
Physiological benefits of Green Care range from passive association with green spaces to physical benefits via active interaction with the natural environment.
“Contact with, and connection to, nature is linked to a range of positive mental and physical health outcomes” (NASP Evidence Briefing on the Natural Environment, 2022)
Green Care improves physical health by providing the opportunity to take part in a physical activity burning off calories with movement and exercise, while more gentle activities can offer improvements to finer motor skills.
Improvements to mental health come from being involved in interesting and meaningful activities, and simply spending time in the natural environment which improves feelings of wellbeing. It can also have a positive impact on our brain chemistry, influencing the release of serotonin and cortisol, which help people feel good.
Green Care also gives people the opportunity to enjoy being part of a social group, reducing feelings of loneliness and isolation. Activities themselves, such as food growing, can also provide additional benefits such as a supply of healthy food.
Opportunities provided by Green Care could mean trying something new or rediscovering old interests. Learning not only provides an opportunity to build confidence and have fun, it is considered is one of the Five Ways to Wellbeing. The New Economics Foundation developed these, commissioned by the UK Government. These are designed to improve the mental health and wellbeing of the whole population.
Green Care offers personalised care whereby people with multiple physical and mental health conditions can make decisions about managing their health. Personalised care supports people to move on from specialist medical health care into care and support options available in their communities. In turn this reduces the emphasis on illness, and promotes health, recovery or rehabilitation and social wellbeing.
Green Care interventions can also provide benefits beyond those for the individual. These include:
health services – reducing inequalities and costs for, and pressure on, services through:
- actively tackling the effects of mental and physical ill health
- de-medicalising some conditions, such as mild to moderate anxiety and depression
social care – reducing pressures on the services through:
- the development of independent living skills and improved personal resilience
- tackling social isolation and the health consequences of loneliness
education – raising attainment levels through opportunities for non-classroom- based learning and qualification routes
employability – offering skills development, support and employment opportunities
social cohesion – through shared community actions and the creation of local green spaces, food growing projects and inclusive enterprises
climate – pro-environmental behaviours take protective actions toward the environment
Green Care Coalition 