Care garden now an inviting place

LOGAN Hospital’s new Garden of Peace in the Palliative Care Unit is officially being opened today (October 11).
The courtyard was transformed as a joint project by Beenleigh, Logan and Loganholme Rotary clubs with assistance from the hospital’s Palliative Care Unit’s clinical nurse Gillian Myles.
The goal was to establish a space where patients, loved ones and staff could relax and reflect with sunshine on their faces, in tranquil surroundings, with a garden of potted plants and comfortable furnishings.
The process was affected by Covid delays but the tenacity of staff and Rotary members kept the project on track with a determination to see the garden dream completed.
President of the Rotary Club of Beenleigh, Janee Hong said: “My family spent many hours in this unit as we watched my father pass and the care of the Logan Hospital team was fantastic.
“But the old courtyard space, while available to us, was not an inviting space.”
Those moments were the catalyst for change and thanks to a Stronger Communities Grant arranged by the federal Member for Forde, Bert van Manen, funds were made available to overhaul the area.
Over two weekends in June, Rotary volunteers and hospital staff removed six skips of waste and prepared landscaping to provide four zones for patients and families to enjoy the space.
Plants were potted, garden beds were mulched and furniture was assembled to refurbish the space.
Final touches were added with two water features funded by the Palliative Care Gala held in May this year.
The sounds of water and lighting help to enhance the private space for patients and loved ones to seek comfort, reverence, peace and tranquillity.
A plaque to honour those who contributed was unveiled by Bert van Manen, with the plaque reading: “This garden has been transformed as a gift of love and respect to the staff and our community by the combined efforts of the Rotary Clubs of Beenleigh, Logan and Loganholme.”
The project would not have been possible without the support of local businesses Bunnings Bethania, The Furniture Shack and garden lands cap supplier Rocky Point.