A little ray of sunshine
22 June 2010
There are many outdoor areas which are sometimes underutilised within the Hamilton Base Hospital, and during his recent stint with the rehabilitation and long stay older patient programs, Division One nurse Mark Atcheson came across an outdoor sunroom located just outside the rehabilitation area in the Medical Ward that had more potential to be used as an outdoor sitting area for patients in the rehabilitation and long stay programs to enjoy some sunshine under cover and the pleasant scenic views.
“I saw that this space had huge potential – it captures all the morning sun and is right next to the rehab beds, but it was looking bit gloomy and no-one was using it. I wanted to brighten it up and turn it into a place where patients could enjoy a quite outside sitting area getting some fresh air, sunshine and taking in the views” said Mark.
Mark called on the services of Dale Johnson of Hammonds Paints who agreed that a fresh coat of paint would be great place to start. “It’s really amazing how much colour can help to lift a person’s mood and we were delighted to be able to help” said Dale.
Hammonds’ very generous donation of wall paint to cover the brown brickwork, a special non-slip paving paint for the floor, and a varnish for the timber-lined roof has brought a very definite ray of sunshine to the area.
And while the current wintry weather may dissuade some from venturing outside, the newly painted outdoor sunroom provides a peaceful and scenic haven outside of the busyness of the normal daily ward routine.
Photo Caption: WDHS staff Mark Atcheson and Leanne Deutscher with Dale Johnson from Hammonds Paints, share a cuppa and a laugh with patients Marcelle Membrey, Gertrude Talbot and Phyllis Walter