Holiday in Style: The Silver Bull All Abilities House

Yarrawonga in Victoria’s north is located on the south bank of the Murray River and is the perfect location for a weekend getaway. Owner of The Silver Bull All Abilities House Jenny Price fell in love with the area and came up with the idea of being able to share her passion with all people, regardless of their ability or access requirements after caring for her mother who had drug induced Parkinson’s. Jenny, a retired educator, flipped houses with her husband in her spare time when she was working and has a love of Hampton’s styling and good design.

Jenny cared for her mother and it was after this experience that got her thinking about accessible housing and the lack of opportunity for people with a disability to holiday with their friends and family in large groups. Market research revealed many accessible community activities in the area, but accessible accommodation generally provided as single accessible rooms, meaning that while the rest of the family could holiday together, those with access requirements would need to sleep and bathe in a separate facility. This is where the idea for the Silver Bull All Abilities House was conceived. Jenny had exposure to people with a disability in her workplace, a lived experience caring for her mother and an Occupational Therapist in the family. This combination has led to a thoughtful design, with a house that caters for many different needs.

Jenny interviewed seven builders in the early stages of planning. It was Ken Stevenson from Lekeal Builders that was the standout for Jenny as he was willing to work with her to accommodate all of the inclusions she wanted

to see in the property. Jenny was very involved in the build, visiting the site most days, meaning that she was able to work through any issues as they arose. There were clear, open lines of communication and an amazing, centralised project management system which kept everyone up to date on the build.

The Silver Bull All Abilities House is a five bedroom home with all bedrooms offering the option of a king size bed, or two single beds in each room. It comfortably accommodates ten people. All rooms have been designed to have compliant circulation spaces, and in many cases additional space has been provided. There is one electrically adjustable bed in the home, and all beds have clearance for a hoist. Thoughtful design inclusions in the bedroom include a niche above the bed in the case where a bedside table needs to be shifted to facilitate transfers. This gives the user a space to put their cup of tea, rest their book or charge their phone. The hallways are 1500mm wide and have oversize sliding barn doors.

The bathrooms are the ultimate in luxury. All bathrooms include a level access shower; two have clawfoot baths which are located so a hoist can be used. A variety of toilet styles have been provided, with the pan located either in the corner of the room for independent transfers or peninsular style. A variety of assistive technology for the bathroom is provided including a shower chair, mobile transfer bench, shower stool and an attendant propelled shower commode. More complex equipment such as commodes can be hired from local equipment supplier Eden Health, with whom The Silver Bull All Abilities House have a partnership arrangement. While the bathrooms have been designed to accommodate a person with a disability, anyone would be comfortable using such luxurious facilities.

The kitchen has been designed also for a range of people with varying abilities. There are lowered sections of bench, so that a person who is sitting is able to assist with the meal preparation. A dishwasher drawer has been placed on both the left and right side of the sink to accommodate a person who is only able to reach to one side. Side opening, wall mounted ovens are provided, with a pull out shelf underneath so that hot meals can be transferred out of the oven prior to being moved to another location in the kitchen. Pop up power points have been installed in accessible locations around the kitchen. Jenny has also located the crockery at an accessible height in the dining area.

The entire home is air conditioned with the ability to zone different areas of the home. The alfresco area is heated and cooled with a separate unit, leaving a living area that is not cooled by the main air conditioning system. This is particularly useful for times where one person may require temperature regulation, but others may not enjoy air conditioning all of the time.

Moving outside there is a swimming pool with a hoist and slings available. One seat in the spa is high enough so a child can sit easily. There is also a reclined seat in the spa, once again, accommodating for all abilities. The spa is temperature controlled. The other part of the swimming pool has jets that allow for 'lap swimming'.

The Silver Bull All abilities House has gone so far as to provide a lightweight manual wheelchair for use by the occupants, along with a more heavy duty wheelchair that can get wet. There is a hoist

with a variety of slings sized small, medium and large, assistive technology for the bathrooms, with the inclusion of suction rails in case the grab rails installed are not in a useful location. Sensor lights in the hallway mean that people are able to move freely about the home.

Even pets have been catered for with a dog bed in the laundry. Hard, slip resistant flooring throughout make this home ideal for any wheeled mobility device.

The Silver Bull All Abilities House is thoughtfully designed for people of all abilities as the name suggests. It is not only good design, but beautiful design, allowing the whole family to get away in the lap of luxury.

House:

The Silver Bull All Abilities House, Yarrawonga

Bookings:

www.waterfrontholidayhouses.com.au

Builder:

Lekeal Custom Quality Homes

Partners:

Tradelink Eden Health