Jo-Anne, a Support Coordination client of Open Minds, has been supported to transition from Residential Aged Care into a Specialised Disability Accommodation (SDA) Home with Supported Independent Living supports.
This was made possible through Jo-Anne having strong stakeholder team working in collaboration. This team consisted of Disability Housing Australia (Tenancy Matching), Multicap, Lifestyle Solutions, Home Care Australia, Green Light Human Capital, Open Minds, Disability Housing Solutions SDA provider and The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) Aged Care Advisory Team.
Jo-Anne had been placed within residential aged care at the age of 42, due to an acquired brain injury that impacted her functional capacity and resulted in significant impact on her speech, mobility. Jo-Anne required ongoing 24/7 care.
As this was a time prior to the creation of the NDIA, there was no other option for Jo-Anne other than to transition from the hospital to residential aged care.
Over the 7 years that Jo-Anne spent in care her father, who is her primary decision maker, noticed that she was experiencing significant decline in her speech and mobility due to the lack of age appropriate engagement and the sedentary lifestyle within aged care.
This was concerning for Jo-Anne’s father and her family.
Her father sought out other options that would support Jo-Anne to transition out of aged care and in 2018 he applied for access to the NDIS for Jo-Anne. Several months later, she was granted access to the scheme and Jo-Anne had her first NDIS plan.
Though this plan, Jo-Anne and her father were supported to develop a team that could enable Jo-Anne to reengage within her community.
This is when Jo-Anne started working with Hannah from Open Minds as her Support Coordinator and began to develop the community connections and linkages which would eventually see Jo-Anne transition from residential aged care.
Over the next 12 months, connections were made and Jo-Anne started to engage with her support workers and her father was supported to better understand the NDIS and develop trust that this would enable Jo-Anne to start a new stage in her life outside of residential aged care.
In 2019, Jo-Anne had her first planning meeting being part of the Younger People in Residential Aged pathway this meant that she was allocated a specialised planner, Monica.
During the meeting it was discussed in detail the plan to move forward over the next 12 months, and how Jo-Anne could be supported to achieve her goal of transitioning out of aged care.
Open Minds Support Worker Hannah, quickly arranged for the process of engaging with providers to enable her to have her to undertake the necessary assessments to enable the NDIS to make a decision on the type of SDA and level of SIL supports.
Encara Encompassing Care had been engaged to complete the assessment along with SDA Services. During this time Hannah stated to look at providers who would be able to support Jo-Anne with a housing.
Disability Housing Australia had been identified as being able to support Jo-Anne to pursue her goal of finding a suitable housing option on the Gold Coast.
After a few property inspections of SDA properties with Disability Housing’s housing specialist, Jo-Anne and her team decided on an SDA Townhouse in Southport that matched her needs, goals and SDA approval. After looking around the complex and the area, Jo-Anne decided this is where she wanted her new home to be.
Jo-Anne was excited to move from the Aged Care home, she wanted to choose what she could eat, cook her favourite zucchini slice, gain back some of her independence, go out into the community on her own terms and have her family over to visit.
With all stakeholders actively working together, the day where Jo-Anne was able to move was here. Everything went smoothly, and Jo-Anne and her family made her place feel like her home. Lifestyle Solutions and Disability Housing Solutions SDA provider helped with the smooth supported transition into the house and now provide Jo-Anne’s SIL and SDA supports.
Upon a Suitable housing option being identified Leila, an Open Minds Support Coordinator contacted Monica to notify of an option having been found.
Hannah and Leila then worked closely with Monica to gather the necessary information to enable a plan to be built that would support Jo-Anne’s transition from residential aged care to her new SDA property.
Regular stakeholder contact ensured that the transition was a team effort, and in May 2020, the transition was complete. Jo-Anne moved into her own SDA home, which has been life changing for Jo-Anne as she can now have her daughters and family come visit her.
This has been life changing for Jo-Anne and her family as it has enabled her to reengage within her community and to start to redevelop her community connections and relationships.
This would not have been possible without the support of Open Minds, the NDIS, Disability Housing Australia, Disability Housing Solutions, Specialised Disability Accommodation Services, Encara, Lifestyle Solutions, Home Care Australia, Green Light – a true collaborative effort and example of person-centred care by all.