Chelsea Pensioners opened a breakthrough sensory garden and room for people with dementia at a nursing home.

The famous ex-servicemen and women, wearing their striking red coats, officially opened the garden at the Princess Louise Kensington nursing home in Ladbroke Grove on June 3.

It took six months to build the garden which provides stimulation and relaxation for the home’s residents and is now part of a national beacon in dementia care for Kensington and Chelsea.

With an ageing population, more people are developing dementia than ever before so the sensory garden is integral to help provide the best possible care.

An £180,000 grant for the garden came from the Secretary of State for Health’s initiative called Improving the Environment for People with Dementia.

Amor Gatinao, nursing home manager at Princess Louise Kensington, said: “We were very excited about welcoming the Chelsea Pensioners along to officially open our sensory environment. It has been a fantastic project to be involved in as the residents were able to help at the consultation stage of design and the garden is now there for everyone to enjoy.

“Residents, family members and visitors alike cannot fail to be impressed with the beautiful silver orb water feature, the traditional red phone box, fragrant plants in raised beds and spongy surface paths for people to get around safely, as well as the ‘magic carpet’ in the sensory room on the dementia care unit.”

The nursing home is run by the Central London Community Healthcare NHS Trust.