SIL house to home care – how switching to Afea gave a stroke survivor holistic support

Mannix’s previous care provider arranged temporary accommodation for him while his bathroom was being modified for accessibility. Unfortunately, as his wife Christina tells us, the accommodation proved to be a nightmare.

“He was paired up with another client of theirs who’s violent and aggressive. Mannix had to put up with that for three months. I kept asking to make a change and nothing ever happened.”

For Christina, this was the last straw. After doing her research, they made the decision to switch to Afea.

The Afea team worked quickly to move Mannix to a newly built SIL house in St Clair, where he could enjoy a safe and peaceful living environment plus 24/7 support.

When it was finally time to leave, Mannix and Christina, who were impressed with the service they received, welcomed Afea back into their lives.

Mannix is now an Afea client for NDIS core support, support coordination and plan management.

“After switching to Afea we realised, ‘So this is what this is actually supposed to be like, what good service is meant to be.’”

Keep reading to learn more about Mannix and Christina.

Previous provider ‘wasn’t on the ball’

Mannix became an NDIS participant after a stroke. “About a year and a half ago he had quite a significant stroke which affected his whole left side,” Christina says.

“So, he has limited mobility. He was in hospital for quite a while and in rehab for a few months. That’s why he ended up on NDIS, because of the situation that happened and the complete change in his lifestyle. He can’t work, can’t drive. He pretty much needs care most of the time.”

After Mannix received his plan, they signed up with a care provider who “just wasn’t on the ball”.

“The previous provider started out good, promised a lot of things, but just poor response, not following through with things that we needed or requested and not getting back to us. We never got a monthly report from them, ever. They never sent us a monthly breakdown of where the money was going and what it’s being spent on.”

Last straw

Then came the nightmare situation with Mannix’s temporary accommodation.

“There was a whole situation when my husband was in temporary accommodation that they arranged, and that whole situation was very bad, that wasn’t being rectified. He was paired up with another client of theirs who’s violent and aggressive. Mannix had to put up with that for three months. I kept asking to make a change and nothing ever happened. That was the last straw for us. Promising to fix the situation and they never did.

“So, I did some research and just chose you guys and it turned out really good.”

SIL house support and ‘getting things done’

Christina shares that being with Afea is “the total opposite of what we had previously.”

“It was a really good choice to switch to Afea. Everyone’s been really professional, always responding, getting things done.”

Mannix moved out of the SIL house after three weeks, but continues to receive support coordination, plan management and core support. His care services work well with Christina’s work schedule.

“For a typical day, we have a carer in the morning who come in around the time I leave for work. The carer stays with Mannix for four to five hours, depending on whether he has physio or OT appointments.

“Sometimes he likes to go to the shopping centre to get a massage. So, they stay with him and do the whole morning routine with him. Shower, getting dressed and ready and taking him out to wherever booking or appointment he has.

“He has a carer three times a week for half a day. In the afternoons, my son is with Mannix until I come home from work.”

Focusing on recovery

With excellent support in place, Mannix and Christina can now focus on fun moments as a family, as well as the future.

“We like to go to the movies whenever there’s something good on. He likes to play table tennis, so we’re trying to get him into wheelchair table tennis. We like getting together with family or visiting relatives, going to dinner, small things like that.”

Christina says their end goal is to improve Mannix’s mobility, “to get him to a point where he doesn’t require the wheelchair or walking stick or support to get around. That’s our main goal, focusing on his recovery. If all goes well, next year we might do some travelling, so we’ll see how that goes.”

Need support from a trusted care provider?

• We have carers providing compassionate care services, whether you’re in a SIL house, SDA or your own home.
• Our Plan Management team is your financial champion, ensuring your funding is used to its fullest potential. At Afea, you’ll have a dedicated Plan Manager – just one point of contact for your entire plan journey!
• Afea’s Support Coordinators are committed to helping you achieve your goals, develop your skills and access the best services suited to your needs. Reduce the stress and time spent on implementing NDIS plans with the help of our amazing Support Coordinators!

Reach out to us now via hello@afea.com.au or 1300 65 11 33.