Description:

SDA design category: High Physical Support
Overnight support: Active Night
SDA cost: $25,814.32
This property is a specialist SDA for Ventilator Accommodation Support Service (VASS) which provides ‘high-level 24-hour support for people who are chronically dependent on mechanical ventilation or have complex respiratory supports’. Additionally, others may be eligible if they require complex respiratory support with daily nursing intervention. Therefore, an applicant is required to have SDA, SIL and nursing care funded in their NDIS plan.

Where is this house?

The house is located in the inner-city, North-Eastern suburb of Thornbury. It is located seven kilometres from Melbourne CBD.
Recreation & Leisure Collingwood Leisure Centre, The Keys Ten Pin Bowling, and Thornbury Picture House Cinema are all located a short 10 minutes’ drive. John Cain Memorial Park reserve is located two kilometres, within walking distance.
Shopping Northland Shopping Centre, three kilometres from home, features large chain stores including Myer, Target and K-Mart as well as specialty stores including hairdressers, beauticians, cafes and supermarkets. There is also a Post Office on site.
Public transport Thornbury and Fairfield train stations are three kilometres from home. In close proximity is the Clarendon Street/High Street tram stop with the public bus
Medical support Austin Hospital and Thornbury Medical Centre are a 10-minute drive.

About this property

The home is a five-bedroom, purpose-built Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA), designed to meet the needs of residents who are dependent on ventilation support.
There are three other houses at the same location, one of which offers Short Term Accommodation.
There is currently one vacancy within this house.
At one end of the unit there is an open plan living room off the combined kitchen and dining area. Centrally, there is another sitting room for residents to enjoy their privacy when receiving visitors.
The unit is surrounded by gardens with a large BBQ area offering a perfect setting for family and friends.

Food Forest

‘A former VASS resident had the vision for the food-producing garden that also features a temperature controlled outdoor room that residents and their visiting family and friends can use’ (Yooralla).
A partnership between Yooralla and Global Gardens of Peace, the unique ‘Food Forest’ is a beautiful oasis that enhances the health and wellbeing of the residents.

About the vacant rooms

The vacant bedrooms have separate split system heating and cooling for customisable room temperature. Televisions are also fitted to each bedroom.
Both bedrooms features built in wardrobes.
Bedrooms 2 and 3 have infrastructure fitted with ceiling hoist tracks only, with the cost and installation of the hoist being the responsibility of the resident (per Occupational Therapy assessment recommendations and NDIS funding).
All bedrooms are wheelchair accessible.
Bedroom 2 is located at the front of the house and features a shared ensuite bathroom with the bedroom next door.
Bedroom 3, located at the front of the home with a window overlooking the front garden. It features its own ensuite with fully accessible features.

Accessibility

The SDA design category for this unit is High Physical Support - housing that has been designed to incorporate a high level of physical access provision for people with significant physical impairment and requiring very high levels of support.
The level ground level home features wide hallways and doorways for ease of access.
There is storage for assistive technology.
Outside there are wide level pathways that are all wheelchair accessible as well as an undercover alfresco.

Support

A registered nurse is always available on site, as well as other highly trained SIL support workers.
The SIL team provide high level support to residents that require mechanical ventilation or have complex respiratory needs.
Current SIL staffing ratio is 1:2 during the day, dependent on resident’s individual medical or disability support requirements.
Overnight there is one SIL support worker who is available at any time, providing Active Night support.
The SIL provider is Yooralla.
Applicants require SIL and nursing support funding in their NDIS plans per the eligibility requirements of the Ventilated Accommodation Support Service (VASS).

Who lives in this house?

There is currently three female residents, aged in their 50's.
Hobbies and interests include listening to music, writing, gardening and feeding birds.They also enjoy spending quality time with visiting friends and families. Engaging with social media to keep connected is important to them,
Intensive support is provided with all personal hygiene and domestic related tasks.
The residents use wheelchair assistive technology to mobilise in and around their home as well as within their local community.
All residents use verbal communication to liaise with each other as well as with the SIL support workers.
During the week they enjoy community participation including shopping at Northland Shopping Centre and catching up with family and friends out in the community.
Each resident respects the individual privacy and specific needs of each other.

Current resident preferences

The residents are typically private individuals. They like to respect each other and spend most of their time getting on with their own lives.They are a mixed group of individuals that do not do a lot of socialising as a group.
One of the residents would like to find a housemate who would like to share a few more social activities and feels that introducing someone that is looking for a similar connection would be something she would like to have living with her.
The person might be a strong advocate for people living with disability.
This cohort are particularly articulate and hold their right to live the lives they choose as central to who they feel they are. It is important to maintain the rights of residents through mutual respect. One of the residents has expressed that they need to have their voices heard, this should include ensuring that family members do not overwhelm their individual voices, rather respect the rights of the residents to be the drivers of how the house is run.
Someone who can enjoy a bit of fun and laughter and accept that all residents are SIL support staff are from different backgrounds.

Things the applicant needs to know

The applicant must be 18 years old or over.
This is an enrolled Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) property. Therefore, the applicant would need to be eligible for the appropriate SDA level of funding in their NDIS plan.
The applicant will need to be able to pay rent and utilities.
The applicant or their nominee will need to establish a Residential Agreement.
The SDA Building type for this house is Group Home.
The SDA Design category for this house is High Physical Support.
The SDA cost is $25,814.32

For further information

Please email the helpful and friendly Housing Coordination Services team at hcsenquiries@dffh.vic.gov.au if you would like to arrange an inspection or learn more about this great home.