Emmaus Village, Port Macquarie’s new and innovative community for people living with dementia, is hosting an Open Day on Saturday 1 June, from10am to 2pm. This event offers the public an opportunity to gain insight into the unique design and special environment of the Village.

Operated by St Agnes’ Catholic Parish, Emmaus Village is unlike any other residential care service in the region. It features 12 beautifully appointed homes, hair dressing salon, corner store, café, cinema, wellness centre as well as signed-posted streets, and several outdoor spaces including barbecue and entertainment area, garden potting shed, and chicken coop.

With free information sessions, tours, information stalls, live performances, face painting and more, the Open Day is expected to be a lively event with fun activities for all ages. The onsite ‘Breaking Bread Café’ will also be open and serving a range of delicious treats and drinks.

Tony Leahy, Chief Executive Officer St Agnes’ Catholic Parish said the Open Day was a chance to celebrate years of hard work, planning and construction, and to share with the community just what Emmaus Village is all about.

“Despite construction work being hampered by the COVID pandemic and some major weather events after the first sod was turned in late 2020, Emmaus Village has, indeed, been worth the wait,” said Tony.

“Emmaus Village is about more than the sum of its buildings, it is and always has been about people – the people who live there, the people who work there, the relationships they build and the freedom and dignity with which they live.” added Tony.

“The vision for Emmaus Village was to create a place where people living with dementia can enjoy a lifestyle that enhances their quality of life, helps them maintain family and social connections, and offers independence with consistency every day,” added Tony.

Tracy Baker, Executive Manager Community Services & Residential Aged Care said the St Agnes’ Care & Lifestyle team is very excited that the community will get the chance to see Emmaus Village.

“No one knows when they, or someone they love, may be affected by dementia but statistics show that it is affecting more and more Australians – in fact Port Macquarie has one of the highest rates of dementia in Australia – that’s one of the reasons we have invested in building Emmaus Village,” said Tracy.

“Apart from inviting the community in to see the beautiful environment we created here at Emmaus Village, it is also about giving our community the chance to learn more and know more about dementia and the supports that are available for people living with dementia,” added Tracy.

Annette Noffke from Dementia Australia will be running sessions about the services offered by Dementia Australia, and other useful resources and support mechanisms available for those living with, or supporting someone living with, dementia.

Clare Wallace, Emmaus Village’s onsite Dementia Support Consultant, will share some of the innovative approaches the unique Emmaus Village experience will bring to helping people live with dementia including the use of technology and person-focused strategies.

Organisations such as Healthy North Coast, the Port Macquarie Dementia Friendly Community Alliance, and Carers NSW will have information stalls and staff on hand to chat about the support and services they provide, particularly to people impacted by dementia.

The St Agnes’ Catholic Parish Client Relationship team and Recruitment team will also be available to answer questions from anyone interested in finding out more about living, working or volunteering at Emmaus Village. Other activities include:
• Virtual Reality armchair travel
• Arts and craft activities
• Short film screenings in the cinema
• Gardening activities
• Jam session in the music room
• Chicken naming competition
• Sausage sizzle in the new BBQ area.
Emmaus Village is co-located with Emmaus Residential Care Home at 16 Colonel Barney Drive, Port Macquarie. For more information visit the Emmaus Village Open Day page on the website (emmausvillage.org.au) or follow us on Facebook.