Building a future for young people with disability
In 2010 we will be building four new houses in Moe, Wodonga, Bairnsdale and City of Whittlesea as part of the government’s My Future My Choice program to keep young people out of nursing homes.
Many have suffered a serious brain injury from an accident or stroke and require months of rehabilitation simply to eat, move and talk again; others have a degenerative illness like multiple sclerosis and can no longer be cared for at home.
For a young person, living in a nursing home can mean losing contact with friends and family who can’t travel long distances to visit, or can’t fit in with rigid visiting hours. It means losing the ability to choose how you spend your day –meals, bedtime, visiting hours and even TV programs can be dictated by someone else. Imagine life for a young person without this basic choice and independence – something the rest of us take for granted.
Our new houses will be designed to cater for young people with special care needs in a home environment. They will allow better access for families, and give young people with a disability the opportunity to increase their level of independence and get out into the community as much as they possibly can.
Help keep young people with disability out of nursing homes, donate here.
Read Mark's Story.
Did you know.....
For more information on keeping young people out of nursing homes:
http://www.summerfoundation.org.au
http://www.dhs.vic.gov.au/disability/supports_for_people/my_future_my_choice