James is a participant with The Disability Trust in the Hunter who has moved into his own SIL bachelor pad. He wrote an article in our Year In Review magazine on how he loves the freedom and independence he has gained from being in his new 'forever home'.
I moved into one of The Disability Trusts SIL homes in August after transitioning out of Wallsend Aged Care, a NSW Health run facility as they announced it was closing its doors by the end of 2024.
This was a massive change for me as I had been living there since 2007, a place I had made my home, and I was not ready to leave.
I had visited many other homes in the area and found that they did not meet my needs or that I didn’t click with the staff and other residents.
Immediately when my parents and I first found the front unit at Helen St and were greeted by the team and saw the unit, we knew this was the place I was going to be able to call my forever home.
Since moving back out into the community, I have been able to live in my own unit and experience the excitement of moving into my own home for the first time.
I have started gaining a new level of independence with cooking dinner, going out for walks around the neighbourhood, decorating my bachelors pad and my least favourite activity … completing chores around my unit.
Everyone that works at the home has been a great support for myself and my parents during this time, helping us to figure out what my new life looks like, as well as figuring out my new goals.
I have been able to develop many new relationships since the transition, and found new people to entertain with my jokes and antics.
It has been a great comfort to be able to have another resident, Desmond, from the aged care facility transition out into the home with me.
