Anne, Lynne and Mark first met at Rainbow Lodge, one of Sylvanvale’s first residential properties, in the Blue Mountains.
They got along so well that when the site closed in 1989, they decided to stay together. They moved into a three bedroom house in Caringbah, in Sydney’s Sutherland Shire, where they lived together for 31 years.
“They were like a little family in the home,” says Anne’s sister, Catherine.
But over time the property, which was not owned by Sylvanvale, became in need of a lot of repairs and maintenance. This year Sylvanvale made the difficult decision to move out of the site.
Of paramount importance to everyone was that they remained together.
“We didn’t want to separate them, as they had been together for so long – like brother and sisters,” says Mark’s Mum, Denise.
Anne, Lynne and Mark were offered places at another Sylvanvale property in Caringbah that had some vacancies. They visited the site together, with their families, to see if it was right for them. They decided that it was.
It was also very important to Anne, Lynne and Mark, and their families, that the key staff, who had supported them for all those years, came with them to the new property.
“The staff have a deep understanding of their needs and their behaviours, and provide a strong emotional foundation that Lynne, Anne and Mark really appreciate,” says Lynne’s brother, Laurie.
After talking with the team, Sylvanvale ensured that most of the support workers would transition to the new home.
On 28 March 2021, Lynne, Anne and Mark moved into their new home – a larger, more modern property just a short distance away from their previous house.
While the new home has offered the three friends continuity in their lives, it has also given them the opportunity to bond with other people who already live in the home.
Lynne and Anne have made close friends with their flatmate Cathy, and Mark has connected with two existing housemates through a shared love of football.
“Sylvanvale has done a good job matching the housemates,” says Denise.
Surrounded by a strong network of connections and support – and still being together – Anne, Lynne and Mark are feeling happy in their new home, with their new friends.
