HEATHCOTE Health resident Gary Ray Ellis recently enjoyed a special day out thanks to the Royal Flying Doctor\u2019s Memory Lane program.<\/p>\n
Volunteers from the Memory Lane program took Mr Ellis and friend Garry Connally to the Holden Museum in Echuca.<\/p>\n
\u201cBoth men are car enthusiasts,\u201d said Carol Fanning, leisure and lifestyle coordinator at Heathcote Health.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe pair competed at Bathurst in the eighties with the likes of Peter Brock, in their own Commodore.<\/p>\n
\u201cMuseum owners, Tony and Mark, made everyone welcome with VIP treatment.<\/p>\n
\u201cRFDS volunteers Stephen, Ruby and Narelle were true champions, making Gary\u2019s day with lunch at The Port and admiring the mighty Murray.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe had a great team behind the scenes at HH who helped it happen, too.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis was our third Memory Lane trip. One resident was able to visit a family farm and another went to Lake Eppalock where he used to spend Sunday afternoons with his wife.\u201d<\/p>\n
Heather Morecroft from the RFDS Memory Lane program said the idea originated in the Netherlands with the Ambulance Wish program.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere was a delay in preparing a palliative care bed for a patient who asked the paramedic transporting him if he could take him to the docks, one last time.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe had previously worked there. He enjoyed a special visit and the Ambulance Wish program was born.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere are now programs all over the world. In Queensland and Western Australia it is known as Ambulance Wish.<\/p>\n
\u201cHere in Victoria the Memory Lane program is facilitated by ambulance crews, doctors and nurses, volunteering their time and skills.\u201d<\/p>\n
The program was launched in May 2021.<\/p>\n
\u201cClients are able to visit a special place, it could be the beach or back to their old home,” Ms Morecroft said. \u201cIt means a lot to clients and their families and their response is amazing.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
HEATHCOTE Health resident Gary Ray Ellis recently enjoyed a special day out thanks to the Royal Flying Doctor\u2019s Memory Lane program. Volunteers from the Memory Lane program took Mr Ellis and friend Garry Connally to the Holden Museum in Echuca. \u201cBoth men are car enthusiasts,\u201d said Carol Fanning, leisure and lifestyle coordinator at Heathcote Health. […]<\/p>\n