About Green Scripts
‘Green Scripts’ aim to connect people impacted by dementia with the established and emerging dementia-inclusive community activities in Ballarat. We can do this through social prescribing, which is where a healthcare worker recommends suitable community activities that could improve the health and wellbeing of community members.
The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) recommends that social prescribing be incorporated into routine healthcare in Australia. It is reported by the RACGP that 70% of GPs believe referring patients to community activities, groups or services helps to improve health outcomes, but most do not have links with such services.
'Green Scripts' is a resource to support both primary health care practitioners and all community members access an opportunity to discover the health benefits of being in nature.
The centrepiece for the practical application of 'Green Scripts' is the Dementia Friendly Forest and Sensory Trail located in the Woowookarung Regional Park in Ballarat www.parks.vic.gov.au/places-to-see/parks/woowookarung-regional-park .
The 'Green Scripts' project is an initiative of the Bigger Hearts Dementia Alliance Ballarat and is supported by a Dementia Friendly Community Engagement Grant (2020).
For more information about the Welcome Wander - Dementia Friendly Forest & Sensory Trail project, watch the videos below:
Making Ballarat's Woowookarung Regional Park dementia-friendly (6:51)
The Woowookarung Regional Park in Ballarat, Victoria, is slowly being transformed to include a dementia-friendly native sensory garden/sensory cue trail.
Dementia-Friendly Ballarat Sensory Path (6:55)
The Ballarat Dementia Alliance, working closely with stakeholders including people living with dementia, their families and carers, have been developing a sensory trail through the Woowookarung Regional Park. Watch their story here. For more information visit dementiafriendly.org.au
For more information about the Woowookarung Regional Park visit the following website: www.parks.vic.gov.au/places-to-see/parks/woowookarung-regional-park
Location
The Woowookarung Regional Park Welcome Wander - Dementia Friendly Forest & Sensory Trail is located in Ballarat, Victoria, Australia, along Katy Ryans Road. (Approximately 500 metres along Katy Ryans Road from the corner of Elsworth Street East and Butt Street). This trail is suitable for wheelchairs and walking aids. Car parking is provided. GPS coordinates: -37.586254, 143.882469
The Google map below indicates the location of this trail.