RESIDENTS at a Winchester care home really have been strolling down memory lane.
St Catherines View, which serves people with dementia, has a garden with purpose-designed paths, country-style gates, benches and water features to stimulate residents’ memories.
Now the new home, managed by Colten Care, has won gold for the Best Memory Garden at the New Homes Gardens Awards.
A cafe-style room opens out with al fresco tables and chairs and residents can even walk to a garden ‘bus stop’ to reminisce about past routines and journeys. Colten Care managing director Ian Hudson said: “The aim of the garden is to create a safe environment with a pleasant, stimulating feel. Our designers have planned every detail with dementia care in mind while protecting the existing trees and wildlife including bats.”
The awards recognise excellence in the regeneration of gardens and landscapes around new and renovated buildings. The £8 million home, in Stanmore Lane, was opened in May 2012 and employs 80 members of staff including mental health nurses and specialist carers.
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