The Prince Charles Hospital Foundation’s Giving Day Impacts

Remarkable impacts thanks to our past Giving Days at The Prince Charles Hospital

The Foundation’s Giving Days are an opportunity to make a profound difference for patients at The Prince Charles Hospital in their time of need and the staff who care for them.

So far, thanks to the support generated through our first four Giving Days, numerous deeply impactful initiatives in several different wards across the hospital have been funded.

“Giving Day is more than just a fundraiser – it’s a lifeline for our hospital community. Every year, the generosity of our supporters directly transforms care for patients and their families at one of Queensland’s busiest public hospitals,” said Chloe Nguyen, General Manager of Marketing, Communications and Engagement at The Prince Charles Hospital Foundation.

As we approach our fifth annual Giving Day on Wednesday, October 22, 2025, we reflect on the noteworthy outcomes from our previous Giving Days.

In this blog, we are highlighting some of those outcomes and reminding our incredible community that these would not have been possible without the generous people who have supported this vital fundraising day.

Charlie’s Village (CAM Unit)

• Amount invested: $80,000
• Funded through: Giving Day 2022
• Opened: Oct 2023

The outdoor area of the hospital’s Cognitive Assessment and Management (CAM) Unit was converted into a community-like space called Charlie’s Village towards the end of 2023, thanks to Giving Day funding the previous year.

This was done by adding built-in facades of familiar places, including a bus stop, a general store, a post office, a café and bakery, a hair salon, and a hotel (aptly named The Prince Charles Hotel). The design and placement of these facades create a realistic and homely environment.

“There are a lot of studies that show that environmental factors are one of the biggest triggers for someone with cognitive impairments or dementia having responsive or reactive behaviours. In those studies, they highlighted that modifying the environment reduces the rate of the escalation of changed behaviours and can help to speed up patient recovery and make them ready to return to their usual environment,” said Khera Kim, Nurse Practitioner, Delirium and Dementia Service, The Prince Charles Hospital.

Memory Lane (Corridor near Wards EMU, 1F and 1G/GEM Ward)

• Amount Invested: $17,000
• Funded through: Giving Day 2022
• Opened: EOY 2023

Carefully curated historic images of Brisbane now line the hospital corridor connecting the Early Assessment Medical Unit (EMU), 1F, and 1G/Geriatric Evaluation & Management (GEM) Wards. This considerate upgrade features photographs selected to showcase the rich history of Brisbane, particularly the area around TPCH, transforming the hallway into a meaningful space that supports patients’ functional, emotional, physiological, and behavioural well- being.

“We want to encourage people to mobilise (in the hospital)– so how do you encourage people to mobilise? You get them a task to do. Go and walk down this memory lane, have a look at old pictures of Prince Charles, old pictures of Brisbane that will stimulate their memory, but also get them walking and stimulate their mobility as well,” said Jeff Rowland, Director of Internal Medicine, at The Prince Charles Hospital.

Sky Garden (Ward 2D)

• Amount Invested: $50,000
• Funded through: Giving Day 2021
• Opened: Sep 2024

A space that was once a tutorial room with a small, enclosed balcony was refurbished to transform it into a light-filled room called the Sky Garden.

This Sky Garden is in a ward that is primarily a hip fracture unit, meaning most patients have limited mobility. The creation of this retreat area has provided patients with a pleasant environment that encourages them to get out of bed and offers an inviting space for social interaction.

“The whole idea of the Sky Garden was to provide a place for patients and their families to have some family time. We wanted to create a more homely environment that provides a little break from the hospital feel,” said Madonna Dalton, former Nurse Unit Manager of Ward 2D and current Assistant Nursing Director, Surgery and Critical Care.

Kids’ Retreat (Paediatric Ward)

• Amount Invested: $ 70,000
• Funded through: Giving Day 2023
• Opened: Dec 2024

The children’s play area in the hospital’s paediatric ward was closed in 2020 due to infection control reasons during the coronavirus pandemic and remained unused for several years.

However, hospital and foundation staff didn’t want to see it go to waste any longer and rallied the community to support a meaningful refurbishment, providing the kids with a dedicated playroom where they can simply be kids while they are in the hospital.

The revamped space includes a colourful bubble tube, dimmable fairy lights, and a hand-painted mural by local artist Lisa Dot Design.

“Having a place to play means they can complete their gross motor skills and their fine motor skills. This is also about improving their cognitive, emotional, and social well-being, and we need to provide that holistic service to our patients,” said Registered Nurse Rachael Patterson.

Healing Ceilings  (Thoracic Close Observation Unit)

• Amount invested: $7,000
• Funded through: Giving Day 2022
• Installed: 2023

Colourful, artist-designed, medical-grade ceiling tiles were installed in the Thoracic Close Observation Unit, where patients are generally quite unwell and often unable to move around freely.

These artistic additions, known as Healing Ceilings, add colour to the clinical space and offer visual stimulation for patients, allowing their minds to wander into nature.

“It gives them something to cognitively engage with while they’re in hospital. We specifically chose ceiling panels with links to nature, as there is a lot of evidence that having links to nature can help your recovery and mood,” said Eat Walk Engage Program Facilitator TPCH, Liana De Michele.

Rehab Pathway Upgrade

• Amount Invested: $50,000
• Funded through: Giving Day 2021
• Due for completion late 2025.

Patients recovering from serious illnesses and major surgeries will have access to upgraded facilities to support their rehabilitation, ultimately improving their confidence in tasks associated with everyday living. The quicker patients can build their strength and confidence, the quicker they can return to the things they enjoy.

This updated outdoor area adjacent to the Rehabilitation and Acute Stroke Unit (RAS) includes a wheelchair-accessible garden bed, an inviting outdoor seating area, and pathways which include ‘obstacles’ such as a sliding door, bridges and stairs, for patients to practice mobility in real life scenarios.

Wellness Room Rejuvenation (Mental Health Short-stay Unit)

• Amount Invested: $10,000
• Funded through: Giving Day 2022
• Opened: 2023

A rejuvenation of the wellness room inside The Prince Charles Hospital’s Mental Health Unit was able to be completed thanks to Giving Day funding.
The room is a space where patients gather for important sessions on recovery, art, self-esteem, stress management, and life. The upgrade included new cupboards to store things out of sight, an updated kitchen, comfortable new armchairs, and freshly painted walls that are now a soft, cool purple hue.

“Now it does feel like a nice space to come into, and it does feel relaxing to come in here knowing that everything is new and clean and safe. It’s like a little home environment now,” said Peta Mitchell, a Queensland Health Artist in Residence.

Sensory Garden for Patients with Dementia (CAM Unit)

• Amount invested: $15,000
• Funded through: Giving Day 2021
• Installed: 2022

A Sensory Garden was planted in the Cognitive Assessment and Management (CAM) unit’s outdoor area thanks to Giving Day funding. The blooms provide joy and purpose for patients with Dementia, offering diversion and distraction to aid in the management of patients’ behaviours and moods.

“Our patients enjoy assisting with the gardening, and increased physical activity in the elderly is also very important, as it helps decrease falls and prevent injuries. When patients are exposed to the outdoor environment, it can help to alleviate depressive symptoms and contributes to the brain releasing serotonin, which promotes a sense of calm and a feeling of focus,” said Amy Thomson, former Nurse Unit Manager, CAM unit.