By CAMERON LUCADOU-WELLS
VANGUARD modern homes are offering superior care for people with disabilities but there’s just nowhere near enough, say disability carers.
Yooralla recently opened a spacious house for four residents with moderate disabilities in Ardgower Road, Noble Park, for those with elderly carers who could no longer care for them.
The home, supervised around the clock by carers, appears similar to any modern residence. It caters for comfortable living with spacious individual bedrooms, private bathrooms, a large central kitchen and living area.
Residents such as William and George appear to be thriving, as they help to cook burgers or pick herbs from the home’s vegie patch.
They go on regular recreational outings such as ferry rides, bowling and a disco at The Oakleigh Centre. These residents are among the lucky ones to find suitable shelter.
As of December, there were 1271 people waiting for shared accommodation statewide. Some young people are languishing in residential aged care.
Yooralla acting area manager Francis Rovers said quality homes such as the Noble Park address allowed residents to live in the community.
“This feels like their house. They can get up when they want to get up, they can make their own meals. At a nursing home, they can’t leave the facility at all.
“The residents are in control and dictate how the house runs. Our staff simply provide additional support where needed.”
He was hopeful that a proposed national disability insurance scheme would help fund more such accommodation. William’s father Charles Oakenfull, a long-time carer for his son, said he had been concerned how his son would take to his new home.
“He seems to have settled in nicely. The staff did everything they could to ensure that his move into the house was as painless as possible and he seems very comfortable there.”
A Department of Human Services spokesman said the government had allocated $20.1 million over four years for 50 supported accommodation places.
He said 22 accommodation support services had been developed for more appropriate options for 104 younger people, who had been living in residential aged care.
The government is also supporting community organisations to get federal funding for to 50 disability accommodation places.
