2 January 2023
An immersive experience at Regis Port Macquarie is bringing local history straight to its residents. Regis Port Macquarie’s ‘Memory Lane’ program offers residents the chance to interact and have a hands-on experience with a collection of historical items from the area.
The program is run by the home’s Lifestyle Assistant, David, who has been building on his collection for the last 20 years. David brings his historical items into the aged care home every fortnight and discusses history of them with the residents. Highlights have included show bags, milk bars, mix masters, dairy history, trams, vintage cars and bikes, music players and more.
“David brought us a range of mix masters from 1932-1969, all were working and we got to use them – it was amazing,” says resident Jeannie.
“Memory Lane brings back so many memories, everything is flooding back,” shares Alice.
Jennifer Phillips, Regis Port Macquarie General Manager, says the initiative provides an opportunity for residents to reminisce and learn about local and historic items.
“Our residents really look forward to David’s Memory Lane activity every fortnight; the immersive experience is second-to-none and it’s wonderful to see the smiles on our residents’ faces when David runs his program,” says Jennifer.
Memory Lane is a unique experience at Regis Port Macquarie and helps support community connection and social interaction. The hands-on demonstrations vary each session and include historic videos, books, old commercials in magazines, community outings and, of course, the items themselves.
Regis offers a diverse range of care options including residential aged care, home care, retirement living, day therapy and day respite. Regis is one of the largest providers of aged care in Australia and cares for more than 7,000 residents each year.
