AN APPRENTICE health care assistant has produced murals that are brightening up patients’ days at sites across North Yorkshire – including Malton Hospital.
Karen Wheelhouse, who works on Rowan Lea Ward at Cross Lane Hospital in Scarborough, has created a seaside mural on the wall of a new patient café at Springwood Unit in Malton.
The former art teacher has drawn on her talents to create the painting based on the theme ‘A recipe for a Holiday’ – featuring her key ingredients for a fun day at the beach.
“The words of the poem come from an art project I once ran, with the recipe format bringing together the simple ingredients that good holidays are made of,” said Karen.
Karen, who is originally from Sheffield, taught art in schools for ten years, before moving into home care and eventually joining the Trust last November.
“I’m so grateful to my former ward manager, Karen Ashby, who first encouraged me to paint and, following her promotion to our Modern Matron, is still supporting my work,” she said.
The initial idea to create a seaside café at Springwood came from activity co-ordinator Lizzie Brown, who organised the transformation of a former storage space into the new dining area.
Karen said: “Lizzie worked so hard to make the room into a lovely space for patients. The decorations and beach-themed trimmings she’s put together make it look fantastic.”
Karen’s plans for the future include finishing a new mural at Rowan Lea – then she’s got her sights set on another spot at Springwood, which she’d love to paint with a potting shed theme.
“I don’t want to ever leave and, even when I eventually retire, I’ll probably come back and paint anyway – if they’ll have me. I just need a few more walls to work with, that’s all!”
Karen Ashby, who is the Modern Matron of both Springwood and Rowan Lea, said: “The team works really hard to be creative in supporting patients with dementia to have the best quality of life, and we feel lucky to have Karen as part of the team.”
Ward manager Denise Teasdale added: “Karen’s wonderful paintings have brought our little café to life. They are a real talking point, and we all enjoy reminiscing about seaside holidays with a cuppa and cake.
“Therapeutic mealtimes are so important to our patients living with dementia, and Karen’s murals have enhanced this experience for them. We all love them and can’t wait to see what she has in store next.”
Anyone interested in joining the Springwood team, or volunteering on the ward is asked to contact Karen Ashby on 01723 384601 or 01653 616000.
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