Kim was born in Australia in the 1960s. His parents were immigrants from Vietnam. Kim has cerebral palsy, and for most of his life lived at home with his hard-working family.
Kim’s family didn’t know about all the disability supports that are available, so he didn’t have as many opportunities to go out into the community. As his family only spoke Vietnamese at home, Kim’s spoken English was limited.
In 2020, Kim had a bad fall at home. During his recovery, he was moved into the rehabilitation unit of Braeside Hospital in South Eastern Sydney, where he stayed for several months. The staff at the rehabilitation unit thought that Kim and his family may benefit from exploring what disability supports were available. The staff connected Kim with Sylvanvale.
The team at Sylvanvale made Kim’s family aware of some of the homes they had available and supported them to apply for National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) funding. Kim’s family chose a home that they liked the look and feel of and is close to where his family lives.
While Kim continued his rehabilitation, his request for NDIS funding progressed. Sylvanvale Site Manager Rebecca worked hard to get the funding prioritised, and it was eventually approved a few months later.
Kim was able to move straight from hospital into the spacious, modern Sylvanvale home where he now lives. The property is conveniently located in the South-Western Sydney region of Mount Pritchard, which shares the local government areas of the City of Fairfield and the City of Liverpool.
Moving into a Specialist Disability Accommodation home was a significant step towards the greater independence that Kim now enjoys.
Because communication is so important in day-to-day life, the team at Sylvanvale wanted to ensure that Kim could express himself to staff in the language of his choice. They recruited Anna, a Vietnamese national, to be Kim’s key support worker. Anna is fluent in several languages and an excellent translator. She is also a highly experienced carer, having worked in both aged care and childcare before starting at Sylvanvale.
When Anna first met Kim, he was shy. But it didn’t take long for Anna and Kim to connect, and for Kim to blossom. Anna began supporting Kim to do things he’d never done before, like bowling and going to the movies. His most-loved movie is “Aquaman”.
Anna also taught Kim to hold a pen for the first time and he has started to draw.
“Before, he didn’t know how to hold a pencil. We gave him a big brush to hold, then a pen. Now he’s learning to use a pencil to colour in.”
Changes to Kim’s environment at home were made to support his independence. Sylvanvale organised for Kim to have a motorised bed and recliner chair which has made it easier for Kim to roll over and sit up in bed, as well as put on his shoes.
In his new home, Kim is supported to make choices for himself.
“He gets to choose his meals,” says Anna. “We prepare pictures of the menu options, so he’s able to make decisions about what he wants.”
“I like the food,” says Kim. His favourite meal is “prawn noodle with bok choy and vegetables.”
He helps with cooking too.
“You like cutting vegetables for cooking, right Kim?” asks Anna.
Kim gives an enthusiastic thumbs up.
“He’s also learnt to put his clothes in the washing machine and to pass the clothes for us to hang up. He puts his cup in the dishwasher,” continues Anna.
Outside of the home, the Sylvanvale team support Kim to access the community and attend appointments. Ensuring his physical health and wellbeing is a priority.
Kim really likes his new life and his new home.
With a huge smile, he says “I’m happy here”.
Would you like to know how Sylvanvale can help someone you care for?
Contact our friendly Service Planning Team on 1300 244 577 or email customers@sylvanvale.com.au
