Making memories in the north west
Alzheimer’s Australia Victoria this week marked 10 years since it hosted its first Memory Lane Café in the north west metropolitan region.
Alzheimer’s Australia Victoria this week marked 10 years since it hosted its first Memory Lane Café in the north west metropolitan region.
The milestone was celebrated with a special event held at the Darebin RSL and attended by café guests and Alzheimer’s Australia Vic staff.
The Memory Lane Café program is available for people with a diagnosis of dementia and their family members.
The cafés provide an opportunity for people impacted by dementia to enjoy time together in the company of people in a similar situation to themselves. Alzheimer’s Australia Vic counselling staff and trained volunteers are also in attendance at every event, with refreshments and entertainment provided.
In 2003, Alzheimer’s Australia Vic received state funding to start the program in the north west. Since then funding has generously been provided by the state and commonwealth governments under the Home and Community Care program.
About 18,154 in the north west metropolitan region are living with dementia. That figure is expected to increase to 60,500 by 2050.
Leanne Wenig, general manager of client services at Alzheimer’s Australia Vic, said: “We know the challenges dementia will present in the next 20 to 30 years. We know that every Australian will be impacted by dementia in some way during their lifetime.
“The Memory Lane Cafe is a great example of the work being done by Alzheimer’s Australia Vic to make a tangible difference to the lives of those impacted by dementia. Our first Café event was held in Jells Park back in 2002. Since then, due to the success of the program, we have expanded and now run café style support programs in 13 locations across the state.”
Since 2003, Alzheimer’s Australia Vic has welcomed more than 3,070 guests to its Memory Lane cafes in the north west.
“Our cafes provide reassurance to people living with dementia in this region that they are not alone. This is a place where stigma doesn’t exist and people are free to be themselves,” Ms Wenig said.
In addition, Alzheimer’s Australia Vic recently commenced its multicultural café program specifically aimed towards people from the Macedonian, Vietnamese, Maltese and Polish communities living in the north west metropolitan region.
