Shari's transition story
Shari* loved city lunches, weekend markets, and the chatter of three grown daughters. A sudden health crisis robbed her of balance and confidence. Wheelchair use, pain flareups, and round-the-clock support replaced the freedoms she once enjoyed. She longed for a place near her eldest daughter and an easy drive for her husband.
Achieve’s team found an apartment that ticked every box. They reviewed Shari’s hospital and rehabilitation reports, met her specialists, and shared her support plan with staff and family. Occupational therapists, physiotherapists and nurses led manual-handling practice, medication administration and equipment-use sessions for all support workers. Family members joined in to learn correct car-transfer techniques and share their own tips.
When Shari moved in, her furniture, shower bed and manual wheelchair were ready – so she and her daughters could head out together, confident that her meals, medications and equipment needs were handled smoothly in the background.
When Shari moved in, staff greeted her by name and placed her favourite chair beside the balcony doors. Good days bring a few steady steps; tougher days mean wheels, warm blankets, and coffee served with a smile. Grandchildren visit most weekends, filling the lounge with laughter while the team quietly handles meals, medication, and evening winddowns.
Now outings unfold like clockwork. Staff guide Shari to the lobby, family manage the car transfer, and dusk finds everyone back at home sharing stories from the days outing. Behind the scenes, complex care keeps its rhythm; what Shari notices are aromas of fresh coffee, the buzz of a lively market, and a home arranged exactly to her taste.
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