feature
Living independently,
next door to Mum
The pioneering community Kemira at IRT William Beach
Gardens provides homes for adults with intellectual
disabilities and their parents.
N
change but it’s good to do your own
stuff,” she said.
“I really can’t imagine living
anywhere else.”
Kemira opened in 2006 and
features 12 universally designed
villas, a community centre, and a five-
bed respite centre.
IRT Communities CEO Stig
arelle Harrington lives “As us carers age, the worry is next door to her mum what will happen to our children. It’s Christine in the specially taken a load off my mind – it’s been “It addresses a crucial gap
designed community – and she the worry of my life, my daughter’s between aged care and disability
couldn’t be happier. future,” Christine said. services, and is helping to keep
Kemira, built and operated by
Narelle, 37, said she likes Kemira
IRT Communities, is located at because it’s safe and she always has
Kanahooka, just south of Wollongong friends there to talk to.
in New South Wales.
Christine and Narelle live next door
to each other in one-bedroom units.
Andersen said the organisation was
immensely proud of Kemira.
families together as they age,”
Mr Andersen said.
“At Kemira, people with
“I go out for dinner in the intellectual disability rent a home of
community room, to watch DVDs their own and live with their primary
or talk and giggle and laugh. It’s a carers within a supportive community
as they age.
“This ensures that people
with disability can continue living
at Kemira even if they become
separated from their primary carers
due to poor health or passing.”
Kemira has been recognised
internationally; it was recently
commended for excellence in
ageing services at the Global Ageing
Network Awards in Switzerland.
In 2016, it won Innovation of the
Year for Service Implementation
at the Fifth Asia Pacific Eldercare
Innovation Awards in Singapore, and
international delegations have visited
Kemira to see how it works.
www.irt.org.au
Narelle Harrington and her mum
Christine at Kemira. Photograph
courtesy IRT Group.
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accommodation
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