If you need emergency services, please contact 000
Are you feeling burnt out? Consider aged care respite.
Looking for a rewarding career in aged care and ready to start now?
View our current retirement living homes for sale.
Search
Contact Us
Close
Services to keep you independent
Government-funded support
One on one care and support
Support to help you stay at home
Allied health support services
Everyone deserves a break
Government or privately funded
Connect with others
Help to access support services
Personalised care and support
14 locations across Victoria
Principles of Montessori
Tailored to individual interests
Helping everyone adjust
If you care for someone, we’re here
Maintain your quality of life
Here for people of all ages
Take a break and have some fun
All your questions answered
Independent living for over 55s
Our latest properties available
Inner Melbourne communities
Camberwell
Deepdene
Kew
Hawthorn
Toorak
Suburban communities
Clayton
Kyneton
Trentham
Eltham
Bacchus Marsh
Pakenham
Balwyn
Brunswick West
Greensborough
Torquay
Everyone deserves a home
services for 18+
Great places to call home
Reach your developmental goals
Pathways to paid employment
Small group programs
Stay independent at home
Get the best out of your NDIS plan
support for 13-18 year olds
Reach developmental goals
Fun programs for your teenagers
NDIS planning
programs for 0-12 year olds
Support for developmental delays
Fun programs for your kids
A school where your child can shine
About St Paul’s College
Prepare your child for school
View our for school policies
Commited to the safety of your child
Menu
Back
Enter your search term below
Blog
→
Austin Street celebrates six years
Austin Street, VMCH’s permanent residence for young people with a significant acquired brain injury (ABI), celebrated its sixth birthday in August.
Opened on the 18th August 2010, the purpose-built home, developed under the government’s ‘My future my choice’ initiative represented a new era; a new model of support that blended nursing care with rehabilitation and community inclusion. It is the only home of its kind in Victoria and was the first of only two such residences in the nation.
While this makes Austin Street all the more amazing, it is also a sobering statistic as it means thousands of young Australians are still living in aged care homes as there are no other options open to them. ABI units exist in several metropolitan hospitals but they do not provide long term support.
“We encourage their independence and we ask all the residents what their personal dreams and goals are,” says Austin Street Manager Jo Herbert.
“It’s part of our philosophy to work with our residents, not for them, and to empower them to pursue their dreams and independence. It doesn’t matter if the dream seems unobtainable – we encourage them in that direction.”
A high staff to resident ratio means that Austin Street residents receive intensive support aligned to their specific health, rehabilitation and personal care needs and preferences. A team of physiotherapists and allied health professionals visit residents who have ‘slow to recover’ funding ensuring they receive expert care to sustain and improve their health and wellbeing. If the resident does have this type of funding, they receive support from a Rehabilitation and Therapy Assistant. 24 hour nursing support at Austin Street also means residents receive clinical support and can avoid periods of hospitalisation.
Of the ten current residents at Austin Street, eight have been there since the house opened six years ago. It’s a reflection of how successful this model of support is, but it does not mean that some residents are not making cognitive and physical gains.
“Many residents have made real progress,” Jo says. “Gains for people with an acquired brain injury can take a long time, but the changes can be significant.”
Louise Reed is one such resident. Following a stroke in her late 40s, Louise moved into Austin Street in 2013.
“It was hard for me at first, but I was relieved to be out of hospital,” says Louise. “I have achieved a lot since coming here and appreciate that they treat us like real people and encourage us to be independent.
“We go out a lot and we do rehabilitation. Recently, I have practised standing again and I can now sit up by myself … I go up to the local primary school once a week, where the students read their readers to me and it keeps me in touch with my teacher’s aide training. I have learnt that being in a wheelchair doesn’t stop you from doing what you want to do.”
SUPPORT
You can support Austin Street by volunteering some of your time or making a donation. Visit www.vmch.com.au/get-involved/volunteer-services/ or www.vmch.com.au/donate-now
Website Design & Development by ID Digital Agency
Locating the information you need has become far easier with our useful guide.
Answer a few simple questions and you will be on your way.