The appeal of gardens and even a Hills Hoist washing line have been proven to calm dementia patients so much that nursing homes are now starting to install retro traits to bring back long-lost moments and memories of well-being.

Dementia has been a huge and costly challenge for the ageing population pushing staffing and other related expenditures to upto 20 percent higher above what nursing homes receive from federal subsidies, according to Bupa Australia health group.

The company has provided for a dementia garden in order to improve life for dementia troubled patients. This includes items from the 1950's to 60's which are familiar from their early years to engage with.

Artifacts from earlier days include laminated kitchen tables and side-opening toasters. The clothes line comes with old wooden style pegs which will remind them of their childhood, barbecues and toolsheds for men to fiddle with, and other garden tools to enable residents to dig up plants and replant them.

Maryann Curry, Bupa's group director of nursing, said that there is evidence that providing familiar objects from the past help patients to overcome from their aggression and hostility.

It has been observed that the enjoyable experience may last for only a couple of minutes, but the benefit that this patients get for their wellbeing will linger for some time until it was overridden by another sensory experience.

The expression on their faces actually changes. We see joy in their faces. They are very comfortable in that moment, and we know that after walking away they have forgotten about the barbecue but the sense of wellbeing remains. she said.

According to a survey from Bupa, more than 50 percent in aged care have some level of dementia, and many more without a formal diagnosis. Their severe behavior included failure to recognize objects and people which are once familiar and aggression and restlessness which often requires frequent and time consuming attention from the staff funded by the government.

Medicine