Accommodation with a difference

By Nicole Williams
A UNIQUE facility in Dandenong is filling a gap by providing accommodation for the elderly and their disabled children.
Wintringham traditionally offers specialist aged care accommodation for the elderly who are homeless or disadvantaged, but the new Eunice Seddon hostel on Potter Street has partnered with Wallara to also provide accommodation for the disabled right next door.
Mother and daughter Sonya, 82, and Anna-Maria, 42, will be the first family to move into the facility.
Family friend and power of attorney Alan said Sonya had dementia and moved into her room last week but they were waiting for approval from the Department of Human Services before Anna-Maria, who has Down syndrome, can join her next door.
The pair is moving from their home in the inner suburbs because there is nowhere offering a similar service closer to home.
“This is the only accommodation solution which can care for both of them together and we don’t want to split them at this stage because it would just create stress,” Alan said.
“I’m sure we’re not the only family in this position.”
Wintringham CEO Brian Lipmann said the hostel was primarily for elderly, impoverished people, but insisted the new model would work.
“This new model is a continuation of everything we have done,” he said.
“We have tried to develop a model which will allow parents to live at Wintringham and their disabled children to live at Wallara. It is the first time it has been tried but we believe it will work.”
Parents, their disabled children and staff can freely move between the two facilities.
Allan Leithhead has been living at the Eunice Seddon hostel for nearly a year and said he couldn’t be happier.
“This would have to be the best retirement place I’ve been to,” he said.
“This is heaven – I don’t want any better than this.”
The official opening, nearly 12 months after the hostel started accommodating residents, was attended by Federal Minister for Mental Health and Ageing Mark Butler, who said the hostel was innovative and a treasure for Australia.
Mr Butler also read a message from Prime Minister Julia Gillard, who visited Wintringham two years ago, before the Eunice Seddon hostel was open.
“I am delighted it is complete and able to provide safe, dignified, supportive accommodation for homeless and the aged,” the message read.
Long-time Wintringham resident and the namesake of the new facility, Eunice Seddon, sat proudly during the opening, although a little unsure of how it came to be named after her.
But when Ms Lipmann told her of the honour, she exclaimed “Geez, I’m going to be famous.”
For more information about the Eunice Seddon hostel or Wintringham visit www.wintringham.org.au