Work begins on hospital garden for dementia patients

Published: 7-Aug-2017

Royal Bournemouth Hospital garden makeover gets underway

Patients with dementia being treated at the Royal Bournemouth Hospital will soon be able to enjoy a tranquil new space as ground was officially broken on the Petal Garden project.

Sited adjacent to wards 4 and 5 – where patients with dementia and delirium are most-commonly treated; the Petal Garden will be the newest area of relaxation for patients, visitors and staff.

Patients with dementia will particularly benefit from positive engagement with the garden, as it will help to provide a sense of purpose and could even help to decrease their length of stay in hospital.

Hospital nurses and staff were joined by workers from Winslade & Watton Construction to formally begin the transformation of the old, rarely-used space into a fresh, vibrant area of beauty.

Dementia specialist nurse, Kelly Lockyer, was on hand to officially break ground on the project and said: “It’s amazing to see work start on the Petal Garden.

“We’re really looking forward to what will be a beautiful sensory garden that all of our patients with dementia and delirium will be able to enjoy and relax in.”

Designed by JPS Landscape Design, and sponsored by Liverpool Victoria, it is hoped that work on the Petal Garden will be completed in around 10 weeks time.

The design will feature five planted sections, each taking the shape of petals that will form together over the entire space to create a flower motif – one petal for each of the five wards in the hospital where patients with dementia are cared for.

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