A healing garden has been established by the hospital for the benefit of stroke patients undergoing rehabilitation. Patients would also be enjoying the outside, which is one of the best things that do fasten recovery. A volunteer stroke survivor, Al Ware, 84 years old, said, "This is one place where they could come out to and see something beautiful, have a lovely little chat out here rather than in the ward; this would be a very big difference."
Mini golf therapy and gardening are two other forms of therapeutic activities that are going to be considered in their new program named Therapy Fun Activities.
Mr. Ware, who today volunteers on West Raynham ward at the hospital and lives in Dersingham, says, A stroke is such a horrendous thing to suffer; such patients could say, Well, one could say he is much better': it really takes it out of people, being in hospital, in a ward all the time. If you could walk out here and show them something pretty nice, have a nice little chat out here rather than in the ward, I think it will make a really huge difference."
That's what the therapeutic assistants have come up with for their Amelia Turner, Cara Holt, and Sarah Barber. She mentioned many research studies have shown that patients are much better healed when allowed to go outdoors into open space. Most importantly, "the garden becomes the place to escape the clinical environment for a little quiet time with family and some space to get back to doing the things they loved before their stroke," she said.
Barber said she can't wait to be working with the patients in that new section. "I think it will give us so many more options for patients to do their therapy, engage with them more, and give them a chance to do other things." It is the QEH charity that put this in place; an appeal is still ongoing for getting implements for patients used in gardening and mini-golf. The hospital is to be newly built afresh in a few short years; the money, such as investment, was carried on at the present site. "The garden design was around the needs of the patients," said transformation manager Sophie Button. "There's a mini-golf section there; there will be items on walls to help with scanning and visual aids," she noted.