accommodation
Keeping families together
Louise Anderson’s son, Dean, has severe autism, intellectual disability and epilepsy.
She is brutally honest about what life would be like for her family without the regular
overnight breaks they receive from caring for Dean.
“I
wouldn’t be married. We’d and relentless, and said short-term be divorced. We simply accommodation was the answer to Senior Manager Kristy Simmonds
wouldn’t be a family unit. their prayers. said while there is a move towards
Dean would be over to the system. I
“It’s essential, it’s important. It is
hate to say that and I don’t want to a lifeline to our family. It really is.”
say that. There isn’t a parent I know Dean attends a short-term
VMCH Accommodation Services
providing people with disability
support in their homes, short-
term accommodation still plays an
who wants to even think about that, accommodation home in Lilydale in let alone verbalise it. But that’s the Melbourne’s Yarra Valley for children truth. It’s where we’d be,” she said. with disability which is run by not- options outside the home are crucial
for-profit Catholic organisation, Villa for many families to continue to
Maria Catholic Homes (VMCH). be able to support their child with
Louise describes her teenage
son’s daily care needs as complex
important role for many families.
“Short-term accommodation
disability,” she said.
“Families need to have the
choice about the type of short-term
accommodation that is right for their
child and family. Overnight support
in the home is not the right option for
all families.”
Louise said Dean’s time at
Lilydale is a lot more than just a
break for mum and dad. Louise
jokes that Dean also gets a break
from his “nagging parents”.
It’s even more than that. The
family works closely with the team at
Lilydale to help Dean develop skills
that help him become independent
as possible.
“Our aim for him is to be as happy
and independent as he possibly
can be and this house provides the
interim step,” Louise said.
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accommodation
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