From hospital wards to home life – how Achieve helped Catherine take charge
Catherine*, smashed glass ceilings on the Sydney trading floor as the first woman to lead a bustling desk. A fall at home slowed her steps and left her needing help for even small movements. Months in wards turned sounds of a busy hospital into daily background noise.
When her rehabilitation plateaued, Royal Rehab Hospital proposed a move to an Inclusive Housing Australia (IHA) Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) apartment. Catherine’s brothers needed proof it would feel like home. The Achieve team studied every therapy note, then met with Catherine, her family, and specialists to plan details. Doorways were widened, a ceiling hoist fitted, and benches set at chair height. The clinical team and Catherine’s OTs, physios and nurses trained our staff in PEG-feeding, pain management and manual transfers. Extra registered nurses went on call, and a visiting general practitioner agreed to regular house calls.
Catherine oversaw preparations on her iPad, correcting typos with her trademark precision. On 4 November 2024 she arrived with her favourite armchair and books. Week one, Catherine shared brief thankyou notes; by week three she debated current affairs with staff. When she craves comfort food, the team cooks it and checks with her brothers so choice and safety balance naturally. What once looked like a maze of clinical tasks now hums along quietly, leaving Catherine free to enjoy crosswords, lively conversation, and full control of her day.
Achieve Australia is a for-purpose community organisation that has been providing accommodation and services to people with disability since 1952.
We champion social inclusion, focusing on the individual needs and lives of the people we support