Steve has a smile that lights up the room. He loves AFL and passionately stands by his beloved Sydney Swans, despite being amongst rivals in his hometown of Geelong! A Youngcare Home Support Grant recently gave Steve another reason to show off his gorgeous grin.
In his twenties, Steve was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. His initial symptom—a bout of double vision while driving—raised significant concerns about his future as a driver.
“I had double vision. I first saw a Neurologist and had an MRI scan and that showed it up,” Steve said when asked about his MS diagnosis.
As his condition quickly deteriorated, Steve was forced to stop driving and eventually started using a wheelchair for mobility and now requires support with all of his daily activities.
Steve lived at home with his dad as his primary carer, but as his father aged, he became unable to lift Steve and so had to find alternative care. The only option at that stage was aged care, where Steve remained for almost 10 years before suitable housing became available. Steve said, “I was the youngest person there,” so it was no surprise that Steve was eager to find a home that was more appropriate for his age.
Steve’s sister, Lisa, soon found Specialist Disability Accommodation in Geelong. After a few trials and tribulations, Steve is now in the perfect house with the perfect care. Originally, Steve was going to have a house mate who already had household goods, so when that fell through, Steve had to find a way to source these items himself.
Living in aged care not only robbed Steve of his youth, but his financial independence as well. Steve’s disability pension was quickly used up to house him at the aged care facility, so he didn’t have any savings left to contribute to the cost of the move.
“In order to move into his new SDA, he was required to provide white goods and furniture; items not covered by his NDIS plan,” Lisa said.
When Lisa discovered Youngcare Connect in 2020 she was met with kindness and support, the team providing her with the guidance she needed to navigate the NDIS on behalf of her brother. So, when she was struggling to fund the items for Steve’s move, Lisa reached out to Youngcare Connect again.
“The application process was easy as there was already so much information provided through FAQs but most importantly through the generosity and patience of the team. They are always enthusiastic about answering questions and providing help in navigating the process.” Lisa said.
Steve was provided a Home Support Grant that covered the cost of his new fridge, plates, cutlery, couch, linen and washing machine. These are all items Steve could not live independently without, and are now his forever, no matter where he lives or who he lives with.
Steve has a message of thanks for Youngcare’s wonderful supporters.
“Thank you to everyone for their support, without the donors it makes moving and transition like this a lot easier and takes away a lot of stress for everyone.”
