14 Dec 2015

Hospital opens country's first mobility garden

7:56 pm on 14 December 2015

A mobility garden said to be the only one of its kind has been unveiled at Taranaki Base Hospital.

The hospital's acting chief executive, Rosemary Clements, said while other hospitals have rehabilitation facilities, the purpose-built garden is unique to Taranaki.

She said it would allow patients to practise getting mobile in an outdoor setting that has similar challenges to those they would face in the world outside.

"The whole idea of a mobility garden is to provide a rehabilitation space for patients, and then also a space for the patients' visitors and families as a place of rest and reprieve."

The facility, which cost $400,000, features ramps, rails and a sensory element designed for hearing- and sight-impaired patients and visitors.

It was funded by the Taranaki Health Foundation, a community-based organisation that has raised $8.5m for healthcare initiatives in the province since 2013.