At THC one of our key objectives is to enable people to lead more independent lives. However, that objective isn’t always shared by our participants.
Scott, for example, is very uncomfortable with the word independent. For Scott, independence means being alone and organising everything for himself. He always says, “I don't want to live on my own.”
Scott finds the future very daunting, as do his parents as they get older. While they love Scott very much and value their time together, they also recognise it’s important to prepare Scott for the future and to transition him to living outside the family home.
In the seven years Scott’s been supported by THC, he’s been living with his parents. At the end of 2023 when they became aware of a vacancy in a unit in Artarmon, they approached staff to ask if a gradual move might be possible. THC was very supportive of the idea and set up a flexible respite arrangement for Scott at the Artarmon units to help him trial living away from home.
“We reassure Scott he’s not moving to Artarmon at the moment; this is just temporary accommodation for him to give us a break and allow him to get accustomed to it if we are away,” his mother says.
It’s been a slow transition, and a big change for Scott in terms of getting used to a new environment. For example, the kitchen is smaller than he is used to, and the bathroom will need modification to accommodate his mobility issues.
Despite these factors, Scott is now staying at Artarmon four nights a week and is navigating his way to make it more familiar and comfortable. His support workers are seeing improvements in his confidence and acceptance of the new arrangements.
Scott’s social skills are developing in terms of adaptation to other occupants in the block and he’s acquired some new communication skills via the Tech Guru program, which has made him much more effective at staying in touch with his family and support network.
“In the last few years, we see Scott going to Pizza Night and it is basically a ritual for him. He enjoys them so much. He was also a member of the Swans group for 4 years. He really appreciates his support workers from THC and gets on well with them.”
“Scott is starting to take a bit of responsibility on his own. He used to live in a black and white world and claimed to dislike change,” his mother says.
“This is a big change for him. It is a new experience for all of us, and it is very different having him out of our house. Yet, he shows a lot of maturity in this experience and how he understands the situation. He’s adapting.”
Scott’s stay at Artarmon is a step closer to the goal that Scott and his family set for him. These kinds of transitions have a huge impact not just on the individual with disability but also on their families.
“Our life has changed considerably in the last 9 months. We’re now free for 4 days a week and there is a reduction in our daily caring responsibilities.” Scott’s mother comments.
His father agrees, adding that THC’s approach has been very flexible and supportive.
“People in THC are remarkably intent on doing the best they can. Sometimes, support can focus only on doing what Scott wants and not on the larger picture about what the family's trying to achieve for him. We've never had that experience with THC,” Scott’s father says.
“It’s a collaborative effort, not only just with THC but also with a supportive and extremely
proactive family.” – Anne Louise adds.
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