The Pulse: March 2025
Your monthly update on the latest initiatives, innovations, and impacts from Dementia Alliance—keeping you connected to the heartbeat of our work
Welcome to this month’s edition of The Pulse, where we bring you the latest updates, initiatives, and milestones from Dementia Alliance. As we continue our mission to create inclusive, compassionate, and community-driven support for people living with dementia and their carers, we are reminded of the incredible power of collaboration and dedication.
From the tireless efforts of our volunteers to groundbreaking research partnerships and global connections, this month has been a testament to the impact we can make when we come together with purpose. Whether it’s enhancing green spaces, strengthening cultural inclusivity, or showcasing our Bush Inspired Community Care Model on the world stage, there is so much to celebrate.
Let’s dive into the latest highlights!
Our Incredible Volunteers – A Testament to Dedication and Passion
In just six months, through the dedication, passion, and unwavering support of our incredible community, we have achieved what many thought was impossible. With nearly 2,000 hours of volunteer service, we have transformed a vision into reality, creating a space that is welcoming, inclusive, and deeply connected to nature and community.
Together, we have:
🔹 Relocated Costerfield House from Heathcote
🔹 Removed wire cages and pruned 100 olive trees
🔹 Constructed a food cage, and a deck for Costerfield House,
🔹 Transformed IBC tanks into planting boxes and wicking beds, and painted the Community Hub
🔹 Created a campfire area, yarning circle, and inspiring art installations
🔹 Established 2 kilometres of walking trails
🔹 Spread over 70 cubic metres of garden soil and mulch
🔹 Constructed garden beds and planted more than 450 trees and plants
This incredible achievement is a reflection of the commitment and hard work of our volunteers. Thank you for your tireless efforts in bringing this dream to life!
Ready for the Big Day - Just Six Months in and Feeling Excited!
As we approach this milestone moment, it’s incredible to reflect on how much has been achieved in just six short months. What started as a vision has rapidly taken shape, thanks to the dedication, passion, and tireless efforts of our team, volunteers, and supporters.
Excitement is building as we get ready for the big day—an opportunity to celebrate our progress, showcase the incredible work that has been done, and look ahead to the next chapter.
This is more than just an event; it’s a testament to what can be accomplished when people come together with a shared purpose. We can’t wait to share this special moment with all of you!
Introducing
We are pleased to introduce Amy, Kamarah, Elysse, Remi, and Samuel, final-year Speech Therapy Honours students from the La Trobe Rural School of Health, and their supervisor Emma. The students will be building on two prior initiatives by La Trobe's final-year Occupational Therapy students:
Researching the Benefits of Green Spaces on Health and Well-being: Investigating how natural environments positively impact individuals' physical and mental health.
Developing Dementia-Friendly Assessment Tools: Creating auditing and assessment tools tailored for dementia-appropriate accommodation and activities.
Visits
Cultural Diversity in Ageing Centre
We were delighted to welcome Kath Poloso, Training and Regional Community Engagement Officer from the Centre for Cultural Diversity in Ageing, to Reflections at Eppalock. The visit provided a valuable opportunity to:
Showcase our Bush Inspired Community Care Model,
Explore Reflections at Eppalock,
Discuss potential collaboration to enhance culturally inclusive service provision within dementia care
Together, we aim to strengthen cultural inclusivity across all aspects of dementia care, ensuring that everyone—no matter their background—feels understood, respected, and supported
We look forward to working with the Centre for Cultural Diversity in Ageing to create more inclusive, compassionate care environments for all.
Andrew Lethlean’s Visit to Reflections at Eppalock
Andrew Lethlean, National Party Candidate for Bendigo, visited Reflections at Eppalock for a tour of our facility and a deep dive into our planned activities and respite options.
As someone with regional Victorian roots and lived experience supporting a person with dementia, Andrew recognises the importance of community-driven care. He was impressed by what a dedicated community can achieve in creating innovative, person-centred support for those with dementia and their carers.
Thanks for visiting, Andrew—we appreciate your time and interest in the power of community-led initiatives!
“Our community is so lucky to have passionate and dedicated people like the Dementia Alliance team. I look forward to being part of the project over the journey.
Building Connections Through Shared Values
Recently, the carers group from The Old Church on the Hill and Regional Victorians of Colour joined Reflections at Eppalock board members and carers for a shared lunch—a beautiful opportunity to connect, exchange ideas, and strengthen our sense of community.
Through open conversation, it became clear that we share a deep commitment to inclusion, support, and connection. As a result, we are now in the process of forming a friendship—a term that reflects the warmth and collaboration we hope to foster. Discussions are already underway on how we can work together on joint activities that bring our communities closer and create meaningful opportunities for carers and those they support.
This growing friendship is a testament to what can be achieved when like-minded groups come together with a shared purpose. We look forward to the possibilities ahead!
Strengthening Global Connections
Japan
Dementia Alliance was honoured to recently host Naoko Suzuki, Associate Professor at the Center for Community Engagement and Lifelong Learning at Tokushima University, one of our valued collaborators.
During her visit, Professor Suzuki was deeply moved by her experience at Reflections at Eppalock, Alliance. "I was blown away by the enormity of Reflections at Eppalock—pictures simply do not do it justice," Professor Suzuki shared. "The scale, the setting, and the thoughtfulness behind every aspect of this space are remarkable."
"I was particularly impressed by Dementia Alliance’s 'Bush Inspired Community Care Model' and would like to learn more about the Toolkit. It is very systematised and well refined," she added. "As a researcher and practitioner seeking better awareness-raising initiatives regarding dementia, I believe this is one of the best models we have seen."
United States
Debbie and Dawn Jae, from Seattle, USA, are currently in the discovery phase of their development, actively researching and evaluating how best to create a new community or integrate dementia support services into an existing one. Their journey led them to Jannette Spierling, founder of de Hogeweyk and Be Advice in the Netherlands, a global leader in dementia care innovation.
Jannette not only provided valuable insights but also spoke highly of Reflections at Eppalock and our award-winning respite accommodation. On her recommendation, Debbie and Dawn Jae reached out to Sandra Slatter, President of Dementia Alliance, to learn more about the groundbreaking work happening here.
An online meeting was set up in January, where they discovered about our proposed our Stage 1 Open Day—and without hesitation, they booked their flights to join us in person! This marks the beginning of another wonderful friendship, one that will see us staying connected and offering support as they continue their journey in dementia care.
Who knows—perhaps one day, we will see a Reflections-style respite accommodation in Seattle, bringing our shared vision of compassionate, community-driven dementia care to even more people around the world.
Dementia Alliance at the ChillOut Festival!
What an incredible experience! Dementia Alliance, in partnership with Ageing Disgracefully, proudly hosted the ChillOut Zone at the ChillOut Festival Carnival Day.
This fantastic festival, run by a small but dedicated volunteer board—much like our own at Dementia Alliance—was a huge success over four amazing days! A massive congratulations to Matt, Meredith, Tom, and the team for making it happen!
This marks the second year that Dementia Alliance has had the honour of being part of the ChillOut Festival, and we’re already looking forward to doing it all again next year!
As this month’s edition of The Pulse comes to a close, we are reminded that the strength of Dementia Alliance lies in the people who make it all possible—our volunteers, partners, and community members. From hands-on projects to research collaborations and cultural inclusivity efforts, every initiative brings us closer to a more connected and compassionate future for people living with dementia and their carers.
Thank you for being part of this journey. Your dedication, support, and belief in the power of community continue to drive meaningful change. We look forward to sharing more progress with you next month—until then, let’s keep the momentum going!
