Programs of Support..............................................................................08

and will hang out the washing, get the dog a biscuit and get things ready for breakfast in the morning,” tells Kim’s Mum, Brenda.

When Kim was younger she had a lovely bond with her siblings, in particular her older brother Tony. “They had their own language,” Brenda reminisces. “Tony would communicate for Kim and he’d tell us what she wanted.”

Since starting with MiLife-Victoria in 2013, Kim has grown in confidence. Brenda describes her as being much happier and has come out of her shell a lot more over the last eight years.

“Graeme picks me up on the bus,” tells Kim who travels on the MiLife bus into the Langwarrin site five days a week where she enjoys cooking, art and craft, walking group, singing and dancing and gardening.

During the year Kim has created a mosaic pot and has planted carrots, potatoes, parsley and lavender in the garden at Langwarrin.

She is always helpful around the centre and is always considerate of others. If there is a job that needs doing, Kim will be there to lend a hand. Kim is very independent and happy to participate in tasks like packing the dishwasher, folding towels, even handy work around the site.

During her time with MiLife-Victoria, Kim has made lots of friends in particular Jessica and Kiely. She loves coming in and spending time with her friends and the staff, and most of all having fun while learning new skills.

Kim with Amanda and Michael displaying their mosaic mirrors

Individual Support

Throughout the last year MiLife-Victoria has supported 26 Individual Support clients, 19 of whom are provided with individual support only in the home or in the community, with the other seven clients receiving individual support on-site within group settings.

There are 28 staff who provide a total of 298 hours of Individual Support to clients per week. 166.5 hours are pure Individual Support, while 131.5 hours are 1:1 support within groups.

Individual Support involves staff providing services such as personal care, cleaning, cooking within the clients’ home, or assisting with food shopping and other tasks within the community. Other ISP activities such as community access outings, which may include going out for lunch or visiting places of interest, have been limited due to the restraints of the pandemic.

Individual Support has had its challenges throughout the year with the main impact being as a result of COVID-19. During lockdowns many clients were uncomfortable having staff in their homes, as such, these services were suspended and staff were furloughed.

For those clients who were considered vulnerable, we have been able to continue to provide Individual Support on site at Langwarrin during lockdowns, and have continued to support four clients in their home. For some of these clients, MiLife staff have been the only people they have face to face contact with during the week. The essential services which we provide has kept them connected and supported during a time of uncertainty.

Aiden learning how to cook