DEMENTIA FRIENDLY MURALS X BLOOM | THE ART PROJECT
Location: Cottage Hospital & Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital Drogheda
Theme of murals: Dementia Friendly Murals
A collaboration between Cottage Hospital, Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital Drogheda and Bloom | The Art Project to create two unique and special dementia friendly murals, that would brighten and comfort the patients and staff who frequent the space.
We were contacted by the staff from Cottage Hospital as they had known someone, who knew someone, who's wall we painted. This is how we have gotten the majority of our projects and it always puts a smile on our faces to connect the dots from project to project.
The staff were looking to create a warm, welcoming, comforting and calming space for patients and people attending the clinic. The walls were in the waiting room of the clinic and so it was important to create a design and use colours that could help distract and alleviate any anxiety. The staff knew that they wanted a fireplace, some pictures representing familiar landmarks of Drogheda on one wall and a window looking onto a rural landscape on the other.
We happily obliged and got to work. We choose colours from the delux dementia friendly catalogue and made sure to add little details that would stir memories and intrigue in those waiting within the space.
Having completed this project, we were contact by Our Lady of Lourdes Drogheda. They too were looking for a mural for their dementia unit. They had a big long wall along the main corridor that they wanted to decorate with colour and familiarity for the patients. We met with the staff on site, assessed the wall and listened to the opinions and requests of those who spend many a days walking up and down the corridor.
As a lot of the patients were from Drogheda and the surrounding area, it was important that the mural was emblematic of the location and that it could trigger memories and conversations. We took this into account when creating the design, settling on the idea of "A Journey Through Drogheda".
Starting on the left hand side we painted the viaduct on the way into Drogheda, with the crannog boats from Carlingford on the water below. Laurences Gate, The Clock Tower and the Millmount were front and middle of the mural. As you moved along we had a sign post, signifying all the different locations surrounding the area. On the right we had the Platin Cement Factory, a place were many of the patients would have worked throughout the years.
The staff were delighted with the finished piece and we were delighted that we could help brighten the ward, stir up some memories and hopefully create a little more conversation and joy amongst the patients.
