Lorraine has lived a full and grounded life – one shaped by family, hard work and a quiet sense of independence.
Her experience reflects a journey many families face when moving into aged care, where the right support can help maintain independence while ensuring safety and wellbeing.
Born and raised in Pascoe Vale, she grew up in Melbourne before starting her first job at a bank. It was a different time then. When Lorraine became engaged, she was expected to leave her role – a sign of how much the world has changed across her lifetime.
As a teenager, Lorraine moved to New Zealand with her mother, where she eventually met her husband. The pair later returned to Melbourne, settling in Tullamarine, raising their children and building a life together.
Today, Lorraine is the centre of a four-generation family. With children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, family remains a constant in her life – something that continues to bring her great joy.
“It was the right thing to do. I’ve got my own space, and I know I’m being looked after.”
A life full of people and stories
For more than 30 years, Lorraine worked at Melbourne Airport in the cocktail bar – a role she remembers not for the work itself, but for the people.
“I had dozens of regulars,” she says. “They’d come in every day and we’d have a chat.”
Connection has always been central to Lorraine’s life. That same ease with people continues today, in conversations over meals and shared moments with other residents.
Recognising when it was time
After experiencing a stroke and increasing mobility challenges, Lorraine began to need more support in her day-to-day life.
The decision around moving into aged care came after she had been living with her daughter, who was also caring for two young children.
“It was time to do something,” Lorraine says. It was a practical and thoughtful decision – one made not only for her own wellbeing, but to ensure her daughter could continue balancing family life.
Her daughter explored several homes before Lorraine came in for respite, giving her the opportunity to experience the environment before making the move permanent.
What stood out was simple – it felt right.
Finding rhythm after moving into aged care
Life today looks different, but it is still full living at Aeralife Northpoint.
Lorraine enjoys playing bingo three times a week, often winning small prizes that she happily passes on to her daughter. She takes part in group activities, including sessions that bring residents together to share memories.
In one of these moments, Lorraine surprised herself by reciting from memory the well-known poem My Country – something she had learned as a child and carried with her all these years.
“I couldn’t believe I still remembered it,” she says.
These moments – familiar, shared, often unexpected – help create a sense of continuity between past and present.
Connection and community in aged care
Connection continues to be part of Lorraine’s daily life.
Breakfast with the same group of residents has become a regular ritual, with conversation and companionship built into the start of each day. Friendships form naturally in these shared spaces.
One of those friendships has led to a particularly meaningful gesture. A fellow resident, Ernie, who enjoys painting, gifted Lorraine two artworks – one of a flower, and another of her beloved cat, Ruby, who had passed away. The paintings now hold a special place in her room, a reminder of both cherished memories and the connections she has built.
There is also reassurance in knowing support is always close by, with the team helping her feel safe and secure.
“They’re always kind. If you need something, they’re there, and you feel looked after.”
A place that grows over time
Moving into aged care is a transition, and like any change, it takes time to find your rhythm.
For Lorraine, the decision was also about balance – making sure she had the support she needed, while allowing her daughter to focus on her own young family.
Over time, that sense of independence has returned in a different way.
“It was the right thing to do. I’ve got my own space, and I know I’m being looked after.”
Living in the day
At 81, Lorraine’s outlook is simple and clear.
“People worry too much,” she says. “You have to learn to live in the day.”
It is a perspective shaped by experience – and one that reflects what life can look like after moving into aged care: family, connection, and moments of joy in the everyday.
