18.08.2010 - Ausgabe: 4/2010

Unique Park Care in Vienna

The idea behind this full-time supervision programme in city parks and other public areas, was created after positive experience was gained from a range of successful projects in Vienna. Many of the offers provided by different associations and groups were implemented within the framework of holiday programmes (Holiday Play “ferienspiel” and Vienna Plays “wien spielt”.

The first continual supervision over a period of several weeks was organised at Allerheiligen Square in 1991 in Vienna’s 20th city district by the association “Brigittenauer Kinderfreunde”. In 1992 it was followed by further pilot projects from different organisations and in 1993, the official starting year of “park supervision”, there were already a total of 40 public parks in 16 city districts providing continual supervision. The reasons for this were subjective feelings of insecurity as well as conflict situations in public parks which were approached with animation services instead of regulations and bans. The positive effects of this preventative, leisure time pedagogic supervision in the parks was quickly recognised by the city districts and financed with increasing budgets. Today, “park supervision” can be found at more than 130 locations throughout all the 23 city districts of Vienna. Currently, a total of 18 non-commercial associations are assigned to this leisure time service, which in some districts is combined with explorative children and youth work or with specific content and general conditions (e.g. active playground, girl’s garden).

“Park supervision is a Viennese success story. For more than 13 years the public parks in the district of Margareten have been regularly visited by trained play teachers who guide and instruct children and teenagers in sensible pastimes. Margareten expanded this welcome service to cover the whole city and 10 years ago, also introduced park supervision for senior citizens. Numerous older people visiting the green and recreation areas have since then profited from the supervision service. The offers range from card games and handicrafts to musical afternoons in the park. This animation in the local recreation areas is readily accepted and welcomed by the senior citizens. Due to demographic developments, this service will become even more significant in future. The city district commits itself to park supervision for both youngsters and senior citizens and will support both projects in future” states District Councillor Ing. Kurt Ph. Wimmer.

Park supervision – Why?

Margareten, the 5th city district of Vienna is the most densely populated area in Austria. Recreational areas are rare on the ground and subject to high-pressure use. Conflict situations between children, youngsters and older people as well as the fears of the latter, caused the politicians responsible to take action. Different measures were evaluated and implemented in Vienna in the form of pilot projects. Park surveillance versus park supervision was discussed. In Margareten, the SPÖ political majority voted against park surveillance by security representatives and in favour of pedagogic leisure time measures. Head District Councillor Kurt Wimmer and his deputy Andrea Hallal-Wögerer prepared the way for these measures in the district council which, in the end, was unanimous in its decision to implement the park supervision project. Together with the Institute for Adventure Pedagogic headed by Ronny Wolf, the concept of park supervision was implemented with help from the MA 13 - Jugendreferat in 1997 and following input from Ilona Schachhuber, the team leader, was expanded to include the Golden Girls (and Boys) Project (known as GG Margareten). This service offer provided by the GGs Margareten is unique in Vienna and in the meantime, is celebrating its 10-year anniversary.

Supervision for Senior Citizens – Why?

The topic of “getting old” is often made taboo. Everyone believes they know what it means, but they don’t like to talk about it. Mainly because the picture of old people in society is not a rosy one.

Where earlier the family was responsible for a comfortable old age and elderly people believed this really would be the case, nowadays senior citizens are often very much alone. The world view has changed as has the approach to elderly people, many of whom feel lonely and subjectively “pushed to the side” of society. In public areas and parks they often find the activities of children and youngsters threatening, avoid these places and become even more lonely. Taking part in leisure activities and participating actively helps to improve their quality of life – exercise / mobilisation / activation on the one hand and, on the other hand, the possibility of coming into contact with others as in the case of the park supervision project. A large number of regular leisure-time activities helps to structure daily routine and the feeling of just “existing” is avoided. The problem behind all this is that many elderly people have little idea of how to actively shape their leisure time and have no or only limited resources. A positive co-existence in society can not be prescribed and social drawbacks such as poverty, lack of education and similar, cannot be simply compensated for. However, positively experienced solidarity such as that provided by the GG project, helps to improve self-confidence and, therefore, also to increase the opportunity to be active.

Golden Girls (and Boys) Project: GG Margareten

How were the senior citizens approached for the park supervision project?
As part of the project “Oral History” in cooperation with the University of Vienna, not only was the brochure “Park Stories” created (available in German on request from dagmar.schnoegl@dieprojektwoche.at), but the needs of elderly park users were also analysed. It is important that senior citizens have a regular routine regarding place, time and day of the week, as this allows them to structure their day. They know what they can look forward to and have an objective for that day. Ilona Schachhuber, Project Leader states: “I was given the impression that already the thought that they have a “date with park supervision” increased their enjoyment of the day. For the senior citizens, “park supervision” means variety, to have fun with other people, to feel accepted and valuable. They feel important as part of the group and enjoy being active (again).

Quote: “Actually it’s really enough if there’s something new every Wednesday.”

GG-Margareten takes place on two afternoons (2½ hours) throughout the year, in summer in the Bacherpark and in the park inside the Theodor-Körner residential area, in winter in the general purpose premises near the Ernst-Lichtblau park. The organisational teams are made up of men and women of all age groups who work with great affection for their “target group”. No costs are involved for participants and activities are planned together combining well known and completely new aspects.

Actual examples

Jakkolos game: It is extremely important that the senior citizens are given space to pass on the experience gained in their lives and to communicate with the younger generations. The construction of the Jakkolos (a wooden game) is remembered well by all GG’s – on the one hand that it was possible to create such a large game themselves, one which is made use of and enjoyed by both children and teenagers, on the other hand, that they were successful in using an electric drill for the first time in their lives! Hesitantly at first but then they had unbelievable fun in helping and motivating each other to a top performance. The work was carried out by GG’s on two afternoons (only the base plate was prefabricated). They cut the wooden pieces to the right length, drilled, bonded and screwed and at the end of day 2, greatly enjoyed being able to play with the new game.

GG table: This was also a project which took two days. On the first day old newspapers and magazines from the last 12 months or older were brought and looked at together. Whenever something of interest was discovered, it was announced, shown and discussed. The topics were very varied, as was the selection of magazines – politics, history, the latest gossip columns, cooking, recent and older actors, singers, TV, … Many personal impressions were “put on the table” and exciting discussions took place. At the same time, the pictures and headlines being discussed were cut out and collected. At the end of the second day these were looked at again and sorted according to topic, then a table was decorated with them and varnished with yacht varnish. Again, the discussions about past and present were very intensive! Finally in the other room, the table created by the children and youngsters in the same way, was also viewed and discussed.

Healthy Snack for All Generations: One afternoon centred around an inter-generation project – there are often boccia games between youngsters and senior citizens and sometimes the children prepare a coffee snack. This time the seniors made sandwiches for the children while the children prepared vegetables and bread spreads for the seniors. The children then prepared the “table” and invited the seniors to sit down. After a couple of games at the table the “buffet was opened”. It was a very pleasant afternoon and lovely to see how the senior citizens took a very active part in “horse racing” (a wild and active game played sitting in a circle).
Quote: “Yes, we played boccia, and the cakes were so good. Last time we made the cakes with fruit, it was very pleasant. Or the time that Maja brought goat’s cheese and made sandwiches. It’s all something different and new.”
Perspectives for the future
This care provided for senior citizens has individual and social targets in that all those taking part can benefit. The effect on the ambient can also be observed in that an improved community feeling is created. We reach not only the elderly people taking part, but also have a systematic effect due to the information spread by the GG’s to their friends, families, relations and colleagues.

The number of senior citizens is increasing and good medical care also allows elderly people to reach healthy old age. Social care however, remains problematic; the existing dividing lines and limits will definitely not diminish in future (high number of immigrants, increasing pressure on use of public areas). Care which activates and strengthens the personal capabilities of the old people like our projects, helps to keep these dividing lines flexible and less rigid.

The situation with use of public areas is also not static, but is constantly changing. Especially with new design and renovation of public areas, when making changes, care should be taken in particular due to the requirements of older people. In many cases requirements for use are only apparent after the building work has been completed and then are different from the intentions created on the drawing board. Planned resources (planning times, finances, …) should take this into consideration and means should be reserved for modifications based on new developments.

Conclusion

Quote: „Well, lets say at least it is a unique start, that youngsters are so committed to helping the elderly; because it isn’t always easy … “