THE Mayor and Mayoress of Oldham Councillor Ateeque Ur-Rehman and Councillor Yasmin Toor and Hospital League of Friends members joined hospital staff and patients at the opening of a dementia garden at The Royal Oldham Hospital.
Funded by The Royal Oldham Hospital League of Friends, the special garden has been created in a small enclosed safe area just off ward G1 discharge unit.
Originally made into a garden area in 2013 by stroke victim Sarah Graham, she raised funds to create the area for stroke patients who could access the garden directly from their ward which was then housed in G1.
Still retaining its name as Sarah’s garden, the space has now been updated into a safe bright garden full of colour and plants for patients to enjoy.
Discharge unit manager Susan Howard, said: “The ward staff are very excited and proud about the newly revamped garden area. Estates staff, gardeners and painters at The Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust which runs The Royal Oldham Hospital have been supportive and helpful in taking on board advice from nursing staff regarding the needs of people with dementia and this has demonstrated the role we all have in contributing to the experience of our patients.”
Thanks to a very generous donation of £1000 from The Royal Oldham Hospital League of Friends, new plants have been installed in the garden designed to be colourful and fragrant for patients to enjoy.
There is also a colourful mural depicting a sweet shop scene from the 1960s which will hopefully evoke a lot of memories and stimulate conversations between patients, their families and staff about times gone by.
Sue continued: “We have also put a large red telephone box and a bus stop in the garden which will be fantastic for patients to look at and reminisce. The garden environment is safe and secluded from the busy unit and is ideal for all patients with or without memory problems.”
A tea party was held to mark the official opening of the garden.
Rose Hall, secretary from the League of Friends said: “On behalf of the League of Friends, I would like to extend a very big thank you to the staff for the wonderful afternoon tea which we enjoyed at the official opening of the garden. We are very happy to have been of help to bring the garden into being and are sure that in the years to come many patients will benefit from sitting in the wonderful space and remember days gone by.”
