Healing, But Make It Green

Forget hospital walls — OTs at Alexandra Hospital are taking therapy outside, where fresh air and jasmine blooms bring back movement, memory, and joy

The gardens at Alexandra Hospital that helped two women regain their mental and physical strength

Today Feature: 26 January 2020

Featured Occupational Therapists:

Joyce Seah Qihui, Occupational Therapist @ Alexandra Hospital

Max Lim Bing Quan, Occupational Therapist @ Alexandra Hospital

Jessica Tan Wan Ru, Senior Professional Officer@ Singapore Institute of Technology

Palliative care patient Chang Sin Ngoh (left) and occupational therapist Joyce Seah picking vegetables at a garden in Alexandra Hospital, which serves as a healing space for patients under its Therapeutic Horticulture Programme

At Alexandra Hospital, occupational therapists are transforming recovery through a new Therapeutic Horticulture Programme — an initiative that uses gardening and nature-based activities to help patients rebuild physical strength, emotional well-being, and a sense of purpose.

When 89-year-old Mdm Chang Sin Ngoh, who had kidney and heart failure and cognitive decline, became withdrawn during repeated hospital stays, her occupational therapist Joyce Seah Qihui encouraged her to join garden therapy sessions. Surrounded by herbs, flowers, and sunlight, Mdm Chang gradually became more cheerful and engaged. The activities — walking on mobility paths, smelling herbs, and later cooking again with ingredients from the garden — reconnected her to her past as a homemaker and mother. For the first time in two years, she prepared a reunion dinner for her family, regaining confidence and joy before returning home.

The programme was developed and implemented by Alexandra Hospital’s 12-member occupational therapy team, including OTs Joyce Seah, Max Lim Bing Quan, and Jessica Tan, integrates reminiscence therapy — where familiar scents and tasks trigger memories — to slow cognitive decline and lift mood. Patients also engage in light gardening, crafting, and cooking, all tailored to their abilities.

The hospital’s gardens, initiated in collaboration with the National Parks Board, now include herbs, flowers, and a mobility walkway to support both occupational and physical rehabilitation. Patients recovering from strokes or falls, like 67-year-old Ho Ai Hoon, practise walking on varied terrains such as sand, wood, and grass to regain balance and strength.

This “green therapy” shows that occupational therapy goes beyond physical recovery — it restores identity, confidence, and connection. Through simple yet meaningful activities, the OTs at Alexandra Hospital are redefining healing as a process that engages the body, mind, and soul.

(Source: Today)