Refreshed By Art Therapy

Yuen Sow Thye, 62, fell at home. After hip surgery, she was admitted to St Luke’s Hospital for rehabilitation. The pain and inability to move affected her mood and added to her worries. She wanted to overcome her worries and recover faster.

A hospital activity which helped improve Sow Thye’s mood was art therapy. One session involved making a postcard and sending it to her family. Sow Thye said art therapy was “refreshing and out of my routine, [it] lifted my spirits and helped me to be more optimistic as I did something I had never done before”.

Another diversional therapy session involved a potted plant. That reignited Sow Thye’s interest in gardening, and she was delighted when the plant bore fruit after she brought it home.
Sow Thye also found emotional support when a pastoral care staff spoke with her and prayed for her.

After discharge, Sow Thye continued outpatient rehabilitation at the hospital. She also enrolled into the Back On Your Feet (BOYF) programme. BOYF is conducted in a group setting and helps patients reintegrate into the community. During one BOYF session, Sow Thye visited Gardens by the Bay. It was her first time there.

Through BOYF, she also made new friends. She said, “We go through the same problems and can encourage each other.”

Yuen Sow Thye visits the mini garden at St Luke’s Hospital when she attends outpatient rehabilitation. The garden “is very special” to her as it brought her “much joy” during her inpatient stay.