THANKS TO OUR DONORS, WE REACHED OUR $150,000 GOAL!
The Sackville Memorial Hospital Foundation’s REST RESTORE RECONNECT Campaign 2023 will give patients and staff access to a therapeutic Outdoor Garden Courtyard at the Sackville Memorial Hospital (SMH). The goal for this project is to inspire hope, healing, and wellness for patients and their loved ones.
The vision is to transform an outdoor area—located behind the hospital (access will be from the Brunswick West patient lounge)—into a three-season Outdoor Garden Courtyard for patients to relax and heal. This much-needed area will foster wellness in an environment for those yearning for a quiet place and time to reflect, outside of their hospital room.
Your support will bring this vision to life.
Hospitals can be noisy and chaotic places at times. While staff do everything possible to create a restful environment, the reality is that patients require care 24 hours a day and are often restricted to their rooms. An Outdoor Garden Courtyard will offer a much-needed respite space to rest, restore, and reconnect.
The courtyard will offer multiple benefits to patients, such as reducing stress and anxiety, and supporting recovery, while addressing their emotional and social needs. Just having access to sunlight is proven to help ease mild depression and improve sleep quality.
SMH Facility Business Manager Sarah Brown made the point to the Foundation board that “a serene space would provide a significant improvement to a patient’s physical and psychological wellbeing. This is needed now more than ever.” She continued by stating that “the pandemic reinforced and highlighted the need for this project. An outdoor space will offer a comforting environment to go to, where patients can experience the tranquility of nature and a break from the reality of being hospitalized.”
This calming space will be most welcome by hospital staff and patients’ families as well. Imagine being able to go to an area for quiet reflection, enjoy some fresh air, read a book uninterrupted, bring mom or dad for a cup of tea and conversation outside, or more importantly, unwind during or after a stressful shift or visit.
The proposed design is for an outdoor, covered porch area of 450 sq. feet, with a seating area that includes ample furniture, a robust flower garden, and barrier-free pathways.
