Aged Care Residents Cruise the Pacific

Residents of a Lutheran Community Care aged care service enjoyed a luxury cruising holiday through the Pacific Ocean in June.

The six women, aged 80-95, live at LCC’s Zion aged care service at Nundah in Brisbane’s inner-north and eagerly signed up for the P&O Pacific Dawn cruise when staff first floated the idea earlier in the year.

The residents were accompanied on the three-day cruise by staff and volunteers from Zion, including a registered nurse and a physiotherapist.

The group enjoyed beautiful meals, attended stage shows, drank cocktails and mingled with other guests.

Mae Carlin, 87, said the highlight of the voyage was simply looking out at the open ocean.

“I sat up all night one night just watching the water through the porthole in my room,’’ she said.

“I’ve always loved the sea and it was just so beautiful to be able to look out at it wherever I was.’’

Tina Boyce, 95, was the oldest resident who took part. Before the cruise departed she said she was eagerly anticipating the “smell and movement of the ship’’.

“I have been travelling all my life and I think this is possibly going to be my last journey, so I’m really looking forward to it. It is my birthday present to myself,’’ she said.

“I think Zion must be the only aged care place in the world that is doing this for their people!’’

Zion Lifestyle Coordinator Sharon Brown said the landmark cruise proved that entering aged care didn’t mean the end of fulfilling and engaging pursuits.

“We are always looking for innovative, exciting and different activities for our residents,’’ Ms Brown said.

“This is their life and they tell us what they want to do; we as the staff are here to help coordinate and facilitate their wishes as best we can. If that wish is to go on a cruising holiday, then we’ll do our very best to make that happen.’’

Zion staff undertook significant preparations ahead of the cruise to set the scene for an enjoyable holiday. Each resident was paired with a staff member or volunteer.

Ms Brown said the trip had created a “real buzz’’ in the aged care service and several people had already put their names down for the next cruise, which is tentatively planned for later this year.