When you join Afea as a new client, one of the first things we do is look at your NDIS plan. The NDIA creates this plan after you have your planning meeting. The care plan includes your goals as well as details about your funding.

When you receive services from our carers at Afea, we work with you to help you achieve these goals. Perhaps one of your goals is to work towards greater independence, which is one of the goals of our high care needs client, Johno.

We’ve been working with Johno since 2018 to help him achieve this goal while also giving him the support he needs. Keep reading to learn more about Johno’s story.  

Building up Johno’s supports within his NDIS plan

Johno first joined us in 2018. He has an acquired brain injury, a term used to refer to brain injury that happens after birth. Johno was trying to live independently, but things weren’t working out very well.

According to his Care Manager Astrid, his NDIS Support Coordinator realised he wasn’t getting enough support.

“The main thing that we took into consideration was that he wasn’t getting proper meals and his house wasn’t in good shape,” Astrid explained. “We just tried to get support for his basic needs, food and shelter, and then built up from there.”

After a while, his support coordinator got him funding for more hours in his NDIS plan under NDIS core support, and now he receives Afea in-home services and community support every day.

Helping Johno achieve his goals

Johno’s goal has always been to be independent. That’s what Afea considers when they’re managing his NDIS plan.

“To keep him independent in the sense that his basic things are taken care of,” shared Astrid. “That his clothes and his house are clean. Because he wouldn’t accept care for longer hours as he’d feel he’s being babysat.”

His carers prepare breakfast for him and other meals for him to eat when he’s hungry.

“He knows his meals are there. He can eat them during the day when the carers aren’t there. They make sure he’s taking his medication.”

Choosing the right support workers

As independence is such a big focus for Johno, it’s important to make sure he has a support worker who he can bond with. Everyone who meets him says how much of a character he is. We needed to find carers for him who could appreciate his sense of humour.

He’s certainly found that in his support worker Girlie.

“Johno is an ideal client,” Girlie explained. “Not just a client, he’s a friend. You know, we’re like family members.”

Girlie sees her role as helping improve Johno’s quality of life. “I don’t consider it a job. It’s like visiting a friend when I’m with him. And the pleasure that I get from that is not something you can pay with money.”

Astrid agrees that a solid relationship is critical to Johno achieving his goal.

“Having that close contact with the carer who he knows cares for him makes a difference, that social contact,” Astrid said. “Every day he’s got somebody in the morning and in the evening who knows him.”

For Johno, he enjoys living his own life and being mates with his support worker.

Afea works closely with you and your Support Coordinator to help you get the most out of your NDIS plan and funding. Talk to our friendly Plan Management team about how you can maximise your NDIS plan now!

If you’d like to know more about our disability support services, please get in touch.