Finding appropriate Short-Term Accommodation for people with disability or illness can be challenging but The Disability Trust is here to help with vacancies in the ACT and Illawarra regions, as well as Bombala and Moruya.
There are eight STA centres offering a wide range of supports – four in the Illawarra and two in the national capital, plus Bombala and Moruya, with vacancies currently available.
They can provide a “home away from home” for people in need of somewhere to take a short break, whether that is as little as two hours, an overnight visit or a longer stay.
The Disability Trust’s expert staff are able to cater to most STA needs with around-the-clock support available.
We recently officially opened the Nanga Mai facility at Dapto which caters for children aged 5-17 while Parkside, Willow and Mountview are for adults in the Illawarra.
Hughes House and Emma Ruby House in the ACT are also available for people on the lookout for STA options. Emma Ruby House is aimed at the 12-18 age group while Hughes is for adults.
The Disability Trust also operates STA sites at Moruya on the South Coast and Bombala in the Monaro region of southern NSW.
Participants also get to go on community access activities during their STA stay with The Disability Trust or they can remain at the accommodation centre where there are a range of options to keep them entertained.
Hughes House has been upgrading its vegetable garden area and participants help staff to plant vegetables that can eventually be taken inside to use fresh with meals, demonstrating how to grow and cook your own food.
The staff at Hughes also like to take participants to tenpin bowling, movies and nights out for dinner while also playing board games, and doing arts and craft activities.
There are five rooms with king single beds and two rooms with adjustable beds for people with mobility issues at Hughes with two accessible bathrooms, an open living area, large backyard and outdoor entertaining space with BBQ facilities.
Emma Ruby House, which opened in 2018, has five bedrooms with two accessible bathrooms plus a trampoline, net swing and outdoor games area, as well as a sensory room.
Located in Cook, it has been specifically designed to cater for younger people living with disability needing short stay accommodation and respite.
Nanga Mai offers similar support for kids in the Illawarra – it also has a sensory room where kids can chill out, as well as six bedrooms, fully accessible bathrooms, a games room and sunny courtyard.
Parkside, which is located in nearby Horsley, is a purpose-built facility catering for the short-term accommodation needs of adults.
It is very welcoming and homely with four bedrooms, three bathrooms and an outdoor movie screen among its many features.
Mountview TCU is a five-bedroom home in the suburb of Balgownie near Wollongong which specialises in providing stays for adults and has nice gardens to explore.
Willow in Wollongong is nestled away off the main streets and is primarily used for one on one care.
The Disability Trust’s Manager of Accommodation Services Jasmine Campbell said STA served a dual purpose of giving people with disability or illness a break while also allowing their carers to get some respite.
“A lot of people look forward to coming to respite because the staff have got such fun activities that they do with them. It’s very person-centred,” Jasmine said.
“Some groups like to come in together and they might have a movie night or go watch the local games of footy.
“It’s a break for the carers but the participants really enjoy having a home away from home.”
Many participants use STA as a transition phase to see if they are ready to go into Supported Independent Living (SIL) accommodation.
If you would like to learn more or enquire about The Disability Trust’s short-term accommodation services, click here.
