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Tonbridge Cottage Hospital

Vintage Tearoom created at Tonbridge Cottage.

A shabby and unloved room at Tonbridge Cottage Hospital has had a 1950s makeover and is now a vintage tea room open for patients to enjoy. The tea room, at the hospital in Vauxhall Lane, was officially opened by the Mayor of Tonbridge and Malling Cllr Roger Roud.

Grand Opening

Find have been working alongside the team at Tonbridge Hospital to help create a tearoom that has been specifically designed to promote reminiscence, nostalgia and aid hydration and nutrition. With the use of murals, furniture and vintage crockery, the tearoom is suitable for all patients, especially those living with dementia.

The project was generously funded by the hospital’s League of Friends and a donation from the Tonbridge and East Peckham Dementia Friendly Community. The décor includes a 1950s piano, a TV showing advertising from the era called Ad-Memoire and a memorabilia table with cookbooks, records and boardgames.

Grahame Hardy, Kent Community Health NHS Foundation Trust’s Dementia Specialist Lead for west Kent, said: “This tea room is the result of lots of hard work from everyone at Tonbridge hospital and I hope it can be used by our patients and their families to reminisce, chat and enjoy on a regular basis.

“For patients living with dementia, this tea room will promote hydration and nutrition which is so important in dementia care.”

Tea room dementia mural

Dementia friendly furniture

Since opening the feedback has been very positive from both patients and visitors.

Why a Dementia Friendly Tea Room?

A good mealtime experience can have a positive impact on a person living with dementia. By making the environment calm, relaxing and as appealing to the person as possible you can help aid hydration and nutrition.

Think about what environment your patients/residents usually like to eat in.

Getting people to eat well is not only determined by serving good food, carefully designed environments that use contrasting colours, murals, and have a clear definition between different surfaces can offer a more enjoyable dining experience that results in residents/patients eating and drinking more.

To find out more about our dementia murals contact us for a no obligation environmental visit

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