Lane Cove Aged Care Residents Enjoy A Trip Down Memory Lane

A deceptively simple idea has helped a Lane Cove aged care home achieve progress with residents who live with dementia.

The Uniting Lynvale staff members have created a Culture Room – decorated with images from countries where residents were born.

Every month a new country is represented, with Lebanon, Greece, Nepal and Italy being exhibited so far.

“Eighteen per cent of our residents are from non-English speaking backgrounds and seeing images from their childhood homes has had an amazing impact on their wellbeing,” said Carol Guan, who started the program.

“We’ve seen residents with dementia become more physically active as they are motivated to come and view the images. And it has inspired them to talk about their childhoods and speak in their native languages – it’s incredibly emotional for them”

Uniting Lynvale offers 24-hour support and expert treatment for dementia patients. Nearly 1 in 10 Australians over 65 have dementia and more than half of all people in aged care live with the condition.

Find out more about Uniting. 

Pictured: Lynvale Team Member Carol Guan & resident Roy Parkes