Profs Sarah & Roger Strasser - Adventures in Rural Health Education & Research
Rural Road to Health
Prof Sarah Strasser and Prof Roger Strasser, a trailblazing couple in the world of rural health, rural health research and rural medical education. Episode summary: 01.15 Sarah and Roger share how they became interested in rural health and some key highlights from their careers 15.30 What did they find most rewarding about living and working in rural areas and what was challenging? 20.50 How did they balance all their different roles with their family life? 29.30 What have been the most important research projects that they have worked on? 51.30 What...
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Prof Bill Ventres - Healthcare on the Margins & Storylines of Family Medicine
Rural Road to Health
Prof Bill Ventres is a family physician, medical anthropologist and (recentrly retired) Distinguished Chair of Rural Family Medicine at the University of Arkansas in the USA. Episode Summary: 1.30 Bill tells us about his professional background and how he became interested in rural health 04.30 What made him choose to live in El Salvador? 09.30 What has he most enjoyed about living and working in rural areas? What did he find most challenging? 13.45 What is Arkansas like, what is the context there like? 19.00 Storylines of Family Medicine - why did he...
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Heather Sherriffs & Dan Martin - ScotGEM & Rural Training on the Orkney Islands
Rural Road to Health
Heather Sherriffs & Dan Martin are medical students on the ScotGEM training pathway. They share their experience of graduate entry medical training in Scotland, their placement on the Orkney Islands and how this is shaping their thoughts about their future careers. Episode summary: 01.15 Heather and Dan tell us a bit about their professional backgrounds and how they got interested in rural health 03.30 What have they found most rewarding about working in a rural setting? What has been most challenging? 06.45 What is ScotGEM? 09.30 What opportunities does...
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Dr Iva Petricusic - Rural Health in Croatia
Rural Road to Health
is a rural family doctor form Croatia. She is the vice chair of the young doctor committee of the Croatian Medical Chamber and a coordinating member of EUROPREV. Episode summary: 01.15 Iva tells us about her professional background and how she became interested in rural health 03.15 What does she most enjoy about living and working in a rural area? What is most challenging? 07.45 What are the characteristics of the place and community where she works? 13.00 How is primary care organized in Croatia? 17.15 How is family medicine...
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Prof Bruce Chater - A Story of Rural Generalism
Rural Road to Health
Prof. Bruce Chater is a rural generalist, Head of the Mayne Academy of Rural and Remote Medicine Clinical Unit in Queensland, Australia, and the Chair of Rural WONCA. Episode summary: 01.15 Prof Chater tell us about his professional background and how he became interested in rural health 05.50 What has he most enjoyed about living and working in rural area and what has been challenging? 11.20 Prof Chater tells us how he has contributed to the development of rural practice and rural medical education in Queensland 16.40 What is it like to be in rural...
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Ashley Lambert - Rural Health in Medical Education: RHiME
Rural Road to Health
Ashley Lambert is a medical student from the University of Swansea in Wales who is currently on the Rural Health in Medical Education track (RHiME). Episode summary: 01.05 Ashley tells us about her background how she became interested in rural health 02.33 What does she most enjoy about working in a rural area, what does she find most challenging? 08.40 What is RHiME at Swansea University? How is it different from the standard medical curriculum? 17.50 Do they have opportunities to connect with other professions? 19.00 How is she involved in...
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Dr Jane George - Recruitment and Retention of Rural Allied Health Professionals
Rural Road to Health
is a health workforce consultant and academic from New Zealand, specialising in rural workforce and the Allied Health, Scientific, and Technical professions. Episode summary: 01.00 Jane introduces herself using a traditional way 03.10 Jane tells her about how she became interested in rural health 07.15 What does she find most enjoyable about rural areas and what she finds most challenging? 12.50 Why did she decide to focus her research on the rural health workforce and allied health professionals? 15.30 What kind of roles do allied health...
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A/Prof Malin Fors - Geographical Narcissism & Potato Ethics
Rural Road to Health
is a psychotherapist, author and Associate Professor at the Arctic University in Norway. Her reserach focuses on power dynamics between rural and urban areas. Episode Summary: 01.00 Dr Fors tells us about her professional background and interest in rural health 03. 25 What does she most enjoy about rural settings and what does she find most challenging? 05.45 How are challenges different for people living in rural areas regarding mental health? 09.30 What is “Potato Ethics”? 12.45 How does potato ethics show itself in rural healthcare...
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Satu Pirskanen - Rural Elderly Care in Finland
Rural Road to Health
Satu Pirskanen is a nurse and Project Manager at the Savonia University of Applied Sciences in Finland. Episode summary: 01.05 Satu tells us about her professional background and how she became interested in rural health 03.05 What does she find most enjoyable about living and working in a rural area and what does she find most challenging? 04.12 How is primary care and community care organized in Finland? 08.00 What are the main challenges facing rural communities regarding their health and wellbeing? 12.15 What is the Attraction in Elderly Care Project?...
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The Virtual Health Hub - Saskatchewan, Canada
Rural Road to Health
In this episode with hear from the team of the in Saskatchewan, Canada: Dr Ivar Mendez, Dr John Michael Stevens, Dr Victoria Sparrow-Downes and Joey Deason. Episode summary: 01.25 Our guest introduce themselves and tell us about their professional background and their interest in rural health 05.26 They share what they most enjoy about living and working in a rural area, and what they find most challenging. 10.15 What is Saskatchewan like? 13.08 What is the Virtual Health Hub? 15.12 How does th Indigenous perspective and culture impact the work...
info_outlineDr Miriam and Malachy Dolan have a social farm in Northern Ireland. We talk about social farming and how it can benefit farmers and rural communities.
Episode summary:
00.45 How Miriam became interested in rural medicine
03.15 How Malachy became interested in rural health and social farming
06.30 What is Dolans Social Farm?
10.30 Who visits the farm and what activities do they take part in?
12.50 How do people find out about the farm, how are they referred to the farm?
15.20 What are some of the benefits of social farming?
17.20 What role does social farming play in the wider community health context?
19.20 What kind of training is needed to open a social farm?
23.50 Do GPs know about social farming and do they understand it?
25.30 Are there benefits for farmers that choose to open a social farm?
29.25 Could any farm become a social farm?
35.05 What does a normal day look like at Dolans Social Farm?
39.40 What are the Dolans top tips for starting a social farm?
Key messages:
Dolans Social Farm is a working farm with cows, pigs and chickens. It is a place where people come, have cups of tea and do some work on the farm. Different people visit the farm, they may have had issues on their life journey, mental health issues or an intellectual disability. They can sometimes feel excluded from normal community life and on the farm they become part of the farm.
The social part is key, a farm is a good place to create social inclusion activities. Through the activities needed on a farm people can develop relationships.
Visitors to the farm do not have to work if they don’t want to; they can just come and socialize. One of the longest attending visitors comes to the farm and plays the guitar. There are no list of activities as it can depend on events at the farm, the season or the weather.
People are referred to the farm through social workers or key workers that work with people with chronic mental health issues or learning disabilities.
Family farms already exist and they are assets in rural communities. One of the biggest strengths of social farming is that you don’t have to go out and build or create something new.
A farm is a good environment for people that have had experience of life on a farm but are now experiencing something like dementia. The farm helps them feel more settled as they feel that they are in a familiar surrounding while also being able to engage with others.
Farm families should already be trained in health and safety as this is relevant for all working farms. Getting involved in social farming focuses the mind on what you should be doing anyway.
Social Farms and Gardens is a UK wide charity, representing 3000 members, 450 social/care farms. They offer training and there is a quality assurance system to make sure you are meeting the requirements of the visitors to the farm.
GPs want to know that if they signpost someone to a social farm that it is safe for their patient and that the service will be available over time.
Priorities for farmers are sustainability, productivity and succession. Farming is a way of life. It is a high pressure profession.
Social farming is potentially another source of revenue for the farm. It can help with succession as children can see that the farm is a vibrant, dynamic and social place.
Years ago farms were social places, now there is a lot of automation and you might not see anyone during your day.
Social farming puts the culture back into agriculture.
Many of the visitors to the farm are also farmers. They come to the social farm as they can meet with people who understand the farming lifestyle and the challenges they are facing.
Activities on the farm happen from 10am to 3pm, 4 days a week. People are generally very respectful of the farm and personal spaces in the home.
Get Green Care Quality Mark Framework
European Federation of City Farms
Thank you for listening to the Rural Road to Health!