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Ward lead, Wandle 2, Croydon University Hospital

Ward lead, Sister Cathy and her team care for patients with dementia and memory loss, often following serious accidents. While the ward provides excellent care, Cathy believes the dementia garden would be transformative for the patients who she and the team care for everyday.

“Yes, they are patients, but in a space like this, they can still feel like they have a life.”

This garden would offer patients and their families a safe, peaceful space outside the hospital walls. Currently, activities are confined to an indoor room, but Cathy envisions hosting tea parties, therapeutic sessions, and simple moments of fresh air outdoors.

“Even just an hour in the garden, twice a week, could do so much for their psyche,” Cathy explains.

Families visiting loved ones would also benefit from the garden. In the busy hospital environment, finding a quiet, private space can be challenging.

“Sometimes families just want a private conversation or a peaceful moment,” Cathy shares. “An outdoor space could give them that.”

The dementia garden would offer healing for both body and mind. With your support, we can create this essential space, bringing nature and comfort to patients and families.

Below: Cathy (third from left) and more of the Wandle team.

  

Peter, has spent his life fostering over 400 children with his wife, Chrissy. Their home has always been filled with the sounds of children, laughter, and the background hum of CBeebies. But now, life looks very different.

“It’s quite depressing,” Chrissy shares, “Peter is used to being up and down, always moving, but now he’s stuck seeing the same four walls every day with nothing to listen to or watch. For someone who can’t keep still, it’s very hard.”

As Chrissy balances life at home without Peter, she believes an outdoor space at the hospital could make a big difference. “Currently, there’s nothing to do here, I think having an outdoor space is essential,” she says.

Peter’s son agrees: “it would be lovely to have this for patients, particularly for their mental health. They are stuck here all day.”

A dementia garden would provide a therapeutic escape for patients like Peter, offering fresh air, stimulation, and a change of scenery that can ease the emotional toll of being in the hospital. With your support, we can create this essential space, giving patients and families the comfort and connection they deserve.

 

Wife of Patrick 

Johanna, a retired nurse who spent her career at Croydon University Hospital, now visits the Wandle ward to spend time with her husband, Patrick, a current patient at the hospital. Having cared for many patients herself, Johanna recognises the need for spaces that promote peace and healing.

“At the moment, there’s nothing here for them,” she explains, “if there was more sensory access, it would be really beneficial and just to have a bit of peace and silence would be so valuable.”

Patrick, who is recovering from a stroke and navigating the challenges of dementia, shares his vision. For him, access to a garden would mean more than just time outdoors, it would restore a sense of freedom and possibility.

“Having access to the outdoors would make me feel free,” Patrick says, “it’s the freedom that I miss. The change of scenery would be like therapy, and it would help me to start walking around again.”

This garden would be a sanctuary of calm and a path to recovery for patients like Patrick.

With your help, we can create a space where nature stimulates healing, freedom, and renewed strength for those facing one of life’s toughest challenges. 

Son of Jonathan 

Jonathan, a current dementia patient at the hospital and currently recovering from a life-changing accident. Once independent and alert, his journey has been a challenging one for him and his family.

An outdoor dementia garden could offer new hope for patients like Jonathan and his son, Henry, believes the garden would play a key role in his recovery and well-being.

“If Dad gets to a point where he can be mobile again, it would be wonderful,” he shared. “He’s still on the road to recovery, but when the time comes, this is something I’d like to support and for Dad to be involved in.”

The garden could be an active part of therapy where patients could engage in gardening tasks, like tending to plants, which could help bring a sense of purpose.

“They could be involved in helping keep the garden,” Henry adds, “it would really benefit his cognitive input.”

This garden is more than a project, it’s a promise of comfort and renewal for patients and their families.

With your support, we can create a space that promotes healing for people like Jonathan as they navigate their recovery journey.

 

Junior Sister, Wandle 2, Croydon University Hospital

Ellie, Junior Sister on Wandle 2 Ward at Croydon University Hospital has been working at the Trust for five years and can see how meaningful it is for patients to have a change of environment. For patients living with dementia, the hospital ward can feel restrictive, and Ellie believes that offering something more will have a huge impact on the patients she sees every day.

“It’s so important for patients to get off the ward,” Ellie explains, “right now, we don’t have that kind of space. A better outdoor area would help both the patients and their families, and it would be wonderful to see”.

The proposed garden would provide a safe, welcoming place for patients to embrace fresh air and also be a supportive space for families, giving them the chance to relax and connect with their loved ones away from the ward environment.

(Image:  Ellie and more of the Wandle team)