Geoff is rarely seen without his Akubra hat and boots – an Australian cowboy with a true love for the outback. His friends and support workers describe Geoff as a friendly and relaxed guy, who needs some help with daily activities and personal care. Geoff lives with cerebral palsy and a mental health condition, and while life has been challenging at times, Geoff’s new home in Helensvale has positively impacted his well-being in more ways than one.
For years Geoff lived in a group home for people with disabilities. In Geoff’s previous home, his mental health was compounded by feeling unsafe and isolated in his environment. When asked what his old home was like, Geoff said,
“Jail. I didn’t like it…the other people that lived there weren’t nice to me.”
DONATE TO GIVE FREEDOM TO YOUNG PEOPLE WITH PHYSICAL DISABILITIES
Understandably, Geoff found himself shutting down and choosing to isolate himself in his bedroom regularly. Geoff was not living the carefree, independent, young life that he craved and deserved…until a year ago.
When Geoff visited the newly built Youngcare-built share house in 2022, he knew straight away that he wanted to live there. The Youngcare Connect team recall showing Geoff around the home and demonstrating the home automation features,
“Geoff loved it straight away. He called his support worker in and said, ‘I want to live here, when can I move in?’”
His support worker at the time spoke to his family, and before long, Geoff was packing his things and moving into the Helensvale share house.
A year on, and Geoff feels right at home! Geoff says he loves everything about his new home, he feels safe and comfortable. Geoff’s support worker, Tracey, has seen a big shift in his moods. Since moving in, he has been choosing to interact with his housemates, his incidents of distress and shutting down becoming less and less.
“Geoff has really blossomed since being here, when he first arrived, he was really quiet and just wanted to spend time in his room, but now he is very social he loves being out with the other guys and chatting away…you can really see that Geoff is in a lot happier place.” – Tracey, Geoff’s support worker, said.
Now that Geoff has a safe space to call home, with easy access to public transport, he is always heading out with his support workers and house mates. His favorite places to visit are Movie World, Outback Spectacular and Paradise Country, but he is also happy to pop down the road to the local café, or wheel to the shops. The opportunities are endless!
For people with complex physical disabilities, like Geoff, a safe home can change their life.
Geoff wants to say ‘thank you’ for providing a safe haven and his forever home,
“Big thank you!”
And Geoff’s support worker, Tracey, has expressed how a home like the Helensvale share house can, not only change the lives of the residents, but make supporting them more efficient and safe,
“I’d really like to say thank you to all the donors. The house caters to all their needs, which therefore makes it easier for us (as support workers) as well. It’s wonderful. I can’t thank the people that donate to make this happen enough. It’s just amazing.”
