The concept is great! My organization is constructing a new model of care to care for the aged in small, 10-bedroom environments, a move away from traditional American nursing homes. I am interested in your Youngcare model. What are the typical ages of resdients? What happens as the residents age in place and become aged themselves?
Best of luck in your efforts!

Wonderful news for young people with a disability.
We have been waiting for years for such facilities for young people in the same position as Shevaune. Good to see that the community and Governments are supporting such a worthwhile cause.
Congratulations on your great success.Keep up the good work
Natalie McDonald Secretary/Treasurer BSDSG

I have a son with DMD, which is a terminal disorder, Tom will be 17 soon. I'm dreading when he leaves. The restpite centre next yr. Even thou he will be going to residental College, he will be coming home, some weekends and all the hoildays.

Cause whats on offer here in the UK. Cause I'm quite ill myself. So I will need suport to help look after him, esp if I end up in the hospital etc..

This is such an awesome idea. I really hope there is going to be more places like this for the Younger adults.

Di Roberts Sheffield UK

I am the mother of a severely disabled young adult & my worst fear was that he would end up in a geriatric nursing home when my husband & I pass away. But now with the Youngcare initiative, there's hope that he won't end his life forgotten & neglected in a nursing home. He is full of life & joy, with a wicked sense of humour & has normal intelligence. Thank you so much for giving me & all the other parents & carers of disabled young people some kind of peace of mind about their future when we're no longer here to care for them
God bless you

hi, i've been aware of young care since seeing your story on sixty minutes.I do not know any young people who require the care that offer , but still i find myself drawn to needing to know more about 'youngcare' and and how things are going for you, it's great to see your first apartments open and i can only hope it's the first of many.
once again for no particular reason other than to say 'well done' and you 'll always have a
fan in me, keep up the good work.
regards Sheree Tesso Vic

My husband recently passed away from cancer. Despite many cancer organisations helping is out, we decided that Youngcare was an organisation who we would support as it is a much needed service. We definitely would have used it as there were times we considered nursing home care but for a 39 year old man, it just didn't seem right. I spoke with our palliative care nurse about Youngcare and what it did, she said she could fill a 10 bed facility in Orange alone with a click of her fingers. We desperately need a service like this in rural NSW, i encourage everyone i know to support this worthwhile organisation.

a friend who is 18 has suffered a stroke, and is classed high dependant, she cannot move, eat, speak etc, where is there for care for ppl like her in NSW? Kevin 07 needs to use our taxpayer $$ and quickly build these places

Would like to congratulate David Sexton and his partners on their walk to Canberra and also congratulate their support team - which according to the daily blogs help enormously. Congratulations everyone.

David Sexton & The Whole Team,

Well Done in achieving your walk! We are all very proud in the 2 weeks you have participated in the walk to raise money for Charity from Canberrra to P'matta Stadium.

Regards,
Eda.

I'd like to share with you a little bit about my family.

My younger brother is intellectually disabled and currently lives with my father in a rural area in central Qld. He has Noonan syndrome which is very rare and besides the intellectual disability physical features include curvature of the spine. He has had two operations on his spine and now has titanium rods which has greatly helped his spine but restricts his movements and ability to play sport and ride his bike. I dont't want to dwell on the negatives though.

Ed is full of life and is known by everyone in the town. He has friends everywhere he goes due to his warm and accpeting nature. To look at him you would not be aware of his disability.

He has what most teenagers have - selective hearing. He knows everything that goes on around him but he chooses when to respond to you. That's his cheeky side. He is also very perceptive of people's emotions. His favourite singer is Slim Dusty.

He 20 this year and as you could imagine he is experiencing the awkwardness of puberty and rebelling against authority.

When he was at the local public primary school his vocabulary, motor skills and thirst for knowledge were growing at a rapid pace. Unfortunately he is now too old to be at school and due to the size of the town local businesses are unable to take him on as a supervised employee. One thing we are most surprised with is his level of happiness. Ed now spends most of his time in his room sulking and sleeps in alot. We think that he feels like he is being punished and that's why he isnt at school.

At present the facilities available to him in his town is BlueCare, which as you know mostly cares for the elderly. He is loved at BlueCare because of his willingess to help wash dishes, hange out washing, put your slippers away etc. and requires minimal supervision.

In a city 2 hours away is a respite facility which is subsidised by the government but has a time cap on the amount of time one can spend there.

My father is a sole trader and relies heavily on these services to allow him to work and give my brother life outside of home. It's a tough situation.

So when i heard about young care i was excited. I originally percevied it to be a government initiative and was surprised it wasn't. I think it's great that you are increasing awareness of young individuals who not only have physical disabilities but also those with intellectual impairments. It is these people that have the most beautiful personalities and accept others without judgement.

I have to say I was disappointed when i learnt it is currently only operating in Brisbane as it's the rural areas that need greater access to services and facilities such as yours.

It's the rural areas that tend not to have special schools for the disabled and after hours care facilties, forcing parents to travel to and from major cities at their own expense.

I hope that with the ongoing support of your partners and sponsors that Young Care can grow to be on par with aged care services such as Blue Care. A respite centre that has one -two week stays for young people like Eddie will help their social skills, life skills and their happiness.

Thank You

I am currently studying occupational therapy at university and after doing some research into young people in nursing homes and completing an assignment based on this I am inspired to continue to help create awareness of this social injustice with my community, state of NSW and Australia. Shevaune's story touched my heart and Youngcare is such a fantastic organisation. I am only 22 years old myself and if I or any of my friends were to end up in a situation where we needed fulltime care I am confident that there would be appropriate support out there. I wish to comment that facilities catering for the young would also be important in rural areas. This needs to be addressed and funding needs to be projected into these areas as well as metropolitan areas. Families find it hard enough placing their young relative in care let alone having to travel great distances to visit and support them. Just something to keep in mind. Focusing on health and well-being in rural areas is a passion of mine and youngcare is also an inspiration and a passion I hold close to my heart. Thankyou, Angela.

Fantastic and very valuable service. As a registered nurse and the owner of a business that makes seating for wheelchair access in vehicles I am aware of the immense need for such a service. We see families struggling to cope at home all the time and would love to see this kind of initiative in Adelaide. Well done. I will continue to watch your progress.

I am employed as a Carer Support Officer in SA, and have people in my `networks` who have unfortunately needed to relinquish care for their loved one (s), by placing into aged care facilities. This decision is difficult enough, let alone that this person requiring care is as young as myself (40 yrs) and there are no other options left for them. I have spent time with Carers who are absolutely heartbroken and devastated ( not to mention filled with guilt ) with this situation. I can not imagine the pain they feel when they visit their loved one, who is often left out in the corridor - alone, with no company and nothing to do. No visitors, nothing to look at, no Quality of Life. I feel their pain, and I am ashamed that this needs to happen. I heard about Youngcare 12 months ago, and spread the word then. But, boy I was `stoked` to stumble across this site, to discover that you are well and truly moving ahead. I congratulate you, and Thank You from the bottom of my heart. PLEASE keep up the good work. Such an inspiration, to add hope !!! You ROCK, and please open up in all states. You seem to have the force with you - keep moving ahead. I will be doing my bit - for you ! Thats a promise ! I just hope that the Carers I refer to , can continue to keep hope, that help is on its way ! You are angels, THANK YOU !

Congratulations to all involved with the opening of the first Youngcare apartments. I am also glad to see that you acknowledge that there is a long way to go before all young people across Australia have accommodation and a lifesyle that responds appropriately to thier "youngness". The need for change in the area of support for family carers is also of paramount importance.

Youngcare is fantastic. I cant wait for the day that we have your facilitys all over australia. Im in melbourne and have two people I in our facility who are under 50. I have wondered how different their life would be if youngcare was avalible for them here in melbourne. Thank-you and all the best for everyone involved with youngcare and I cant wait to see you in melbourne!

I am a Regestered Nurse working in the community for over 10 years now and still feel so distressed with the lack of support we can offer these young clients and their families , so many families break up because of the stress in caring for their loves ones without adequate support or planned respite as their are no suitable planned respite beds available for these young families. If there were ,we would be able to keep the young clients at home where they want to be( and at a lot less cost for the government than it costs at present ,) The transition into young care facilties will be less stressfull for all involved . I struggle with the government funding not meeting these young ones needs , there are many simple suggestions that will work 1-with broadening of some existing programs eg The CAPS or EACH packages That are presently available for aged care clients would meet these clients and their families needs at home, we would just structure thew to include the young families needs .If anyone is reading this that can help look into this or give me a reason that this would not work than I would be greatfull of a reply as I dont want to be sitting here in another 10 years saying the same thing and seeing family after family breakdown because my hands are tired in what I can do for them , everyone is intitaled to dignity so why do we as a society allow these young people and young families to suffer such indignity ???

How many people can we name that could benefit from Youngcare. Is there anything we can do to help the people in North Queensland build apartments. Having worked in nursing homes and now as a Paramedic I am aware of the needs of the young Person needing care and the needs of their carers. Lets get busy and work hard together for a brighter future for all involved.

Thank you to the Youngcare staff who have aied us in our first major fundraising effort to benifit Youngcare of course. You have all been there to help us get the 2008 charity steer off and running from day one. Your dedication, commitment has been the driving force behind us helping Youngcare. If we have achieved one major goal it was an awareness of the Youngcare in rural and regional Australia I think that by the 6th of August we will have achieved this, and the money raised from theYoungcare charity steer at the EKKA will be an added bonus. Once people are aware of your organisation and what Youngcare stands for the support is overwelming and we have taken on all offers of assiatance in some weird but truely wounderful ways. Keep up the great work while ever you aim for the sky we will be right there with you.

Thank you Youngcare for giving my sister Linda back her dignity and hope......she will be moving in to her unit in the coming weeks....Thank you Youngcare & all the supporters.

My nephew is now 36 and cared for at home by his mother. It is a constant battle but the alternative of aged care accommodation is no alternative at all. In common with so many carers, the carer is now experiencing health problems. This situation is unacceptable in an affluent society. As a family, we are pulling together through this difficult time, but WHY IS THERE NO SUPPORT. Addressing an overwhelming need - Congratulations Youngcare. I live on the Gold Coast so my next initiative is to volunteer to make the Gold Coast facility, and many others a reality.

The Youngcare initiative is fantastic and all the comments are so positive. I do not mean to drag the mood down, but as a Nurse in ONE ward where there are currently at least six patients in our care who require high care and who have so far been unsuccessful in gaining any financial support from Disability Services Queensland.
Not one of our patients requiring high care in the past year or two have received adequate funding to cater for their needs, eg. home with family / youngcare placement. These patients still go to nursing homes all the time, it just takes a lot longer than before because ACAT will not assess them, and it puts them and their families through a long period of horrible turmoil. Whilst it is a secondary issue, they also "block" beds for patients that need their urgent elective surgery!!
Where is the money Ms Bligh?? We desperately need more slow stream, high care rehab facilities and nursing homes for younger people. A few beds just doesn't cut it!
I say these things only to keep the fire alive in the hearts of all you, to let you know that we need to continue to fight for these people, their rights and their dignity.

I just watched the advertisement NRL advertisement with Noel Kelly. I was not aware of such a problem and find the work you are doing inspirational. It has jolted me into supporting such a cause and I will definately be soughting further information.

After recently hearing about Youngcare on the footy show i was drawn to your website.As a kiwi we too need facilities and services like Youngcare.I am in the process of putting together a business plan for a lifestyle service for young people with disabilities here in Christchurch as i believe strongly that they should have options as to what is available to them.I congratulate you for having the foresight and inspiration to make Youngcare a success.Its definately inspirational to me...keep up the great work.

I sit here with tears streaming down my face ... My wife is in exactly this situation ... a young person trapped in an Aged Care Facility.
Just tonight, when I left her, she broke down and pleaded with me to pray AS HARD AS I COULD for something to happen to make things get better for her in her situation. It breaks my heart every night to leave her. I know that I am not alone in this situation ... there must be many, many others who go through these same feelings of guilt and helplessness, having constant nightmares about this horrible situation which is beyond their control.
I have to applaud you for what you have done and are continuing to do! I just wish that more people (especially those in government) were arware of the plight of such people and were able to do more to assit.
Well done!!! ... keep up the fantastic work ... I hope your message continues to spread and more people sit up and notice!
God bless you all

As a AIN in an aged care home where one of your clients used to to be all I can say is WELL DONE. I saw the lady in question out and about with her family only a short time after her leaving the aged care facilty that she had been in and going to Young Care. The difference in her was FANTASTIC. She was glowing!!! Even though I didnt need to ask, I did. How are you liking it..She was excited, and ever so pleased.
It was great to see the difference in her..a positve difference.
If only we could do the same for all those younger people right now. What a difference a basic need has done.
Again, WELL DONE.

As a Suncorp Employee we are educated on this great cause regardly and have since spread the word.
We are all young now or we once were and you just never know whether you or a loved one will need this wonderful support.

My 22 year old sister sustained hypoxic brain injury when she was 5 - leaving her severely and permanently physically disabled. She is cared for by my wonderful parents. She lives in Sydney. Are there any future developments of Youngcare accomodation aimed for NSW in the near future?

Fantastic - down here on the Sth Cst in Nowra there is nothing for our young people but Aged Care Facilities. What a shame some of the existing providers dont acknowledge the need for young people. Well done & what an inspiration

Working in the caring industry I have been aware of the need for "appropriate" high needs care for younger people. Our local respite centre has alotted a special day for younger people-activities of their choosing, they love it. Computer games & Rock music rather than Bingo & War songs. Well Done Youngcare! We need lots of apartments in every state! Like nursing homes.

I am in my early 40s living in an aged care facility (hostel) in Sydney. I have multiple sclerosis (MS) and have been 'living' (if you can call it that) in the aged care facility for nearly 3 years. Thank you (and your supporters) so much for giving people like me hope that things will get better one day. (I have already put my name down for when apartments are built in Sydney!)

I am a special education teacher working in a Bayside primary school. I also have a cousin with Asperger's Syndrome and a younger sister diagnosed with Intellectual Impairment.

The children I work with have moderate special needs and will hopefully go on to full, independedent living. With the love and support of my family, my beautiful sister and wonderful cousin will hopefully also go on to live happy and independent lives.

However I have also taught children with higher needs who have gone on to special school and will probably require some form of supported living in the future. I see the challenges faced by these wonderful young people and their inspiring families on almost a daily basis.

I have been following Youngcare's progress for a while with great interest and wonder. Thank you for deciding to do something to help young people with disabilities who have so much to offer the world but are often forgotten about. Thank you also for helping their families by giving them hope for the future of their children, sisters, brothers and cousins.

The four founding members and all who work with this amazing organisation are to be commended. I am happy to be a friend of Youngcare's and urge all to support this organisation and donate if they can.

I also ask the government to use Youngcare as an example and consider how it can further assist young people with high care needs and their families to live happy, dignified and fulfilling lives.

Thank you Youngcare for your contribution to making the world a better place. :)

Are you on twitter yet? If so can I follow you? I cannot find you under youngcare, a 17yr girl from Cologne has that username! If not, please get on... its pretty amazing.. the power of twitter... Yes...this is an important cause and we donate $100 a month via direct debit and have your link on our website. I will continue to tweet about you anyway....god bless you all and the work you do! xxxx

what a wonderful concept. I work in aged care and where I work there are 3 residents under 55 years, and had one young person aged 27... I live in Tasmania I dont think that there is any where that offers this service expecially for the younger people with high care needs, except in the aged places. way to go !!! well done!!

We would like to thank Youngcare staff and residents for allowing us the opportunity to support Youngcare.

This year saw our second year of the RNA Youngcare steer. We have been able to take the Youngcare Message from Toowoomba on the darling downs to Casino in northern NSW and ending our 2009 year at the Brisbane EKKA. This year though the support of so many people we have been able to raise approx $25,000 for Youngcare, and have had many people and organisations show support to Youngcare in many and varied ways. Unfortunately the awarness still seems to be limited, but once people hear of the purpose and goals of Youngcare the soon show their hand with an offer in some way.

Each year we work with a group of high school students to care for the steer, they go and visit the residents at the apartments and soon realise their work is going to a good cause. Believe me they take the message away and share it with their peers and families.

During 2009 we were also fortunite enough to be able take the charity Steer to some Primary Schools in the Granite Belt region who choose the visit to dress in RED & WHITE for a gold coin donation for Youngcare they just loved it.

During this year also we were lucky enough to meet the great Marco Gilori who put the Youngcare message into verse.

The RNA Youngcare charity steer gives us a platform on which to carry the Youngcare message far and wide to a diverse group of people.

Thank you once again to the residents and staff for your time and support. From all involved in the RNA YOUNGCARE charity steer.

As a young person, I'm really inspired by the work that you are doing. I wonder if you are in contact with any university student organisations / newspapers. I'm at Sydney Uni and I know our Student Representative Council are great advocates for issues like this - I'm sure they would be very interested in you work. Thanks for doing what you do

Let me know if you need help penetrating into SA. I have just moved back to Adelaide from Brisbane and think what you do is wondeful.

My new company Art 4 Aged Care did not realize that younger people where being looked after in Age Care facilities so this site is an eyeopener for us. You are never to old or young to learn. Hope all goes well.

I have just finished reading an inpiring story in a That's Life magazine about a very courageous young woman, Mahli Cooper. I immediately went to the Everyday Hero website that has a link to the Youngcare website and I just wanted to share my thoughts on this amazing woman and Youngcare. In March 2009 this year I had a motorbike accident and sustained several serious injuries. I broke the neck of my femur and had a dynamic bolt inserted to stablise my badly broken femur, dislcocated my shoulder and tore all the muscles and tendons off which required a Rotor Cuff repair and have badly damaged my ACL and medial ligaments in my knee which requires a full recon in the near future. At the end of the month I am having a total hip replacement due to Vascular Necrosis which has developed in my hip due to the severve injury to it. A hip replacement at 41! I spent 5 weeks in hospital in an elderly patient ward and have never felt so down in my life because I had no contact with patients my age or younger as this type of injury (broken hip) usually happens to elderly people. At the time I wished I was able to go to a place where I could be treated with other people my age or younger and feel more comfortable in my rehab! Anyway, I was so inspired by Mahli' story and the efforts her wonderful family and friends are making to help raise funds for Youngcare, I decided I wanted to make a donation to this worthy cause to help build these facilities that are so obviously needed in our communities. I hope that one day these efforts to fundraise will see Youngcare open apartments in South Australia. I realise I'm not as young as the people who reside in these apartments, but being in a ward with an older genre of our community does not go along way for a speedy recovery. So, I am aiming to donate to this cause and hope that Youngcare realise their dreams of having Australia wide apartments available to the Youth of our community. At pesent with being unemployed due to this accident, my donation is small, but I hope to donate more in the future, once I get back on my feet so to speak. So, keep up the wonderful work Youngcare and good luck with all your future efforts!