Zest Care client Katrin loves having different experiences, which is why one of her key NDIS goals is to access the community and get out and about more.
Katrin was born with cerebral palsy (CP), a condition that affects around 300,000 people in Australia. One in every 400 babies in Australia is born with CP.
According to Cerebral Palsy Australia, CP refers to a group of disorders that impact a person’s ability to move. It is caused by damage to the developing brain, usually during pregnancy or very shortly after birth.
The way CP affects people varies a great deal and no two people are the same. It can affect body movement, muscle control, coordination, tone, reflex, posture and balance. Some of these can improve or worsen over time. People with CP may also have visual, learning, hearing, speech, epilepsy and intellectual impairments.
Katrin’s condition affects her in a variety of ways, including mobility and balance. She requires the use of a wheelchair, although she can stand for a little while if she is supported or has something to hold on to.
Working with a few different NDIS providers, Katrin has access to a range of support services, including daily assistance with personal care. A very upbeat and independent lady, she now lives by herself in a flat near Maroubra after her partner passed away several years ago.
Katrin loves the beach and Zest Care helps her achieve her goal of swimming and being more active. Working with two regular Zest Care support workers (who she gets on with really well) Katrin goes swimming regularly, using a special chair on the sand. Other regular outings include shopping trips for groceries, meeting a friend (who is also a Zest Care client) at Westfield Eastgardens for coffee, ten pin bowling (Katrin usually scores a couple of strikes) and an outing to the movies (usually something fun like a comedy or musical).
Katrin loves Zest Care because we have helped her see new places and supported her in her goals. “You know they’re there 24 hours a day, all year round. I’ve been very happy with them.”
Our main goal is to help Katrin achieve her goals of being independent and accessing the community. We do this through direct supports as well as through coordination of supports. This means that we listen carefully to Katrin’s needs and help her find providers and organisations that help her meet them.
Having helped families across NSW for the last 18 years, Zest Care is now available in Newcastle and the Hunter region. We will be providing core NDIS services, focusing on planning, support coordination and access to the community.
Come and meet the Zest Care team at the Hunter Disability Expo, Newcastle Jockey Club, October 26 and 27. Contact us on 02 9683 3400 or send us an enquiry.
Register HERE to attend the Hunter Disability Expo, hosted by 4community, the social impact advisory that advances the impact of organisations they work with and increases access to the right products and services for people with disability.