Measuring outcomes of people moving into new housing

To understand what ‘works’ in the disability housing space, La Trobe University, the Summer Foundation and a range of partners have developed the Home and Living Outcome Framework.

The framework is being used as part of our 3-year, $1.64 million project, funded through an Australian Research Council linkage grant, investigating the experiences, outcomes and economic impact of people with disability moving into specialist disability accommodation (SDA).

Preliminary findings reveal insights into the experience of moving into and living in newly built SDA funded through the NDIS.

Researchers interviewed 15 NDIS participants living in single-occupant SDA apartments and collected data before and after tenants moved into their new homes. After moving into SDA:

Overall health improved for 60% of tenants
Wellbeing ratings improved for 66% of tenants
Community integration scores improved for 73% of tenants
Average daily support hours fell by 2.4 hours
Only 66% of tenants required overnight support, dropping from 87% pre-move

In a recent LinkedIn article, Summer Foundation CEO Dr Di Winkler says: “Building disability housing that is based on rigorous evidence is essential for enabling people to exercise their right to live a good life.

“There is an urgent need for the co-design of new models of housing and support that deliver high quality, cost-effective support.

“These models should build on local and international evidence and best practice. Better outcomes will not only benefit people with disability, providers and investors, but also state and federal governments as they address the rising costs of the NDIS.”

The project is actively recruiting new participants and partners. Visit the webpage for more information.

The Summer Foundation welcomes the Disability Royal Commission’s focus on inclusive housing in its final report. As we continue to focus our work on people with disability with high and complex needs we welcome the 11 recommendations around housing in the report.

Our Position Statement details our recommendations and how we intend to work with governments to bring these recommendations to fruition.

In response to the final report we will continue working with and for Australians with disability, particularly those requiring 24/7 support. We remain committed to a range of initiatives that will improve the lives of people with high and complex needs.

We seek to work with governments to provide an evidence base supported by research, co-design, and projects that demonstrate innovation and potential. We will scale evidence based solutions and design alternative approaches to supported independent living.
We look forward to working with all levels of government to improve the outcomes of people with high and complex needs. For further details, you can read our full submission here.

With the release of the NDIS Review recommendations in late 2023, Reasonable & Necessary podcast host, Dr George Taleporos, has been busy looking closely at the recommendations and what they might mean for people with disability.

This year’s series kicks off with a double feature where Dr George, along with a group of sector experts, takes a ‘deep dive’ into what’s in that final report. The podcast Deep Dive into the NDIS Review – Part 1: What happened to participant choice and control? looks closely at how choice and control may be affected in light of recommendations around registered providers. Part 2 looks at assessments, navigators and psychosocial supports.

This is followed by an interview where we meet the NDIS worker and provider taskforce. This taskforce has been established to ensure the recommendations are interrogated by people with disability through a proper co-design process. You can listen here.

In the latest episode, Dr George talks to disability law experts Mitchell Skipsey and Dr Darren O’Donnovan about the changes to the NDIS Act. They explore the reasons for the changes, and how these changes may impact NDIS participants. They also share important details on how you can share your thoughts or concerns on the changes through a submission to the Senate. Don’t miss this important episode! Watch it here.

The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare has released new data about the numbers of young people living in residential aged care (RAC).

Comparing this to data we have gathered from other sources, including Senate Estimates and the NDIS Quarterly Report, we can conclude: ·

As of 30 September 2023, there were 1,891 young people living in RAC; 1,565 were NDIS participants
From 1 October 2022 to 30 September 2023, 320 younger people entered RAC
From October 2022 to 30 September 2023, 589 people under 65 left aged care

Historical data indicates a downwards trend in both the number of people entering aged care and the number of people living in aged care. In September 2022 there were 2,672 people under 65 living in RAC, compared to the latest figure of 1,891 (September 2023). In the year to September 2022, 435 people under 65 entered aged care, compared to 320 people in the year to September 2023.

The data clearly shows that there has been a significant reduction in the number of younger people entering residential aged care. However, examining the younger people leaving RAC indicates that 60% of the people are dying while still in RAC, and the majority of those going to other accommodation are going back to their family homes or hospitals.

There is still substantial work to be done. We are committed to continue working with government to improve the rates in which YPIRAC with high and complex needs are leaving RAC to go to accommodation that is appropriate for their needs with appropriate support in place.

Our Aged Care to Home service had a stall at the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission’s national provider conference in April in Adelaide.

“The conference was a great opportunity to connect with aged care providers who have young NDIS participants in their care,” said the service’s engagement coordinator Alicia Baltra-Ulloa.

“The free service works directly with young people living in aged care, and their supporters, to achieve their housing and support goals.”

Its work aligns with the Federal Government’s target to ensure all younger people transition out of aged care by 2025 (apart from in exceptional circumstances).

Since July 2023 the Aged Care to Home service has supported 15 people to move out of aged care and many others to improve their quality of life while remaining in aged care.

The philanthropically funded service is a partnership between the Summer Foundation and the Housing Hub.

For more information visit the Aged Care to Home webpage.

La Trobe University and the Summer Foundation are undertaking research to find out about the impact of the NDIS on the lives of young people living in aged care.

The research aims to understand how the NDIS is supporting people to achieve their goals, particularly in relation to their housing needs and preferences. It involves interviews with people living in aged care, families and those working with young people in aged care.

If you are a support coordinator working with anyone under 65 years living in aged care and interested in participating in this study, we would love to hear from you.

Email elroy.dearn@summerfoundation.org.au or register your interest by visiting summerfoundation.org.au/research-study. You can also text/phone Elroy on 0458 756 984.

Meet Katy who is sharing her lived experience as part of our Co-design team.

The Summer Foundation and the Housing Hub host a range of face-to-face and online workshops for audiences across Australia.

As part of our ongoing commitment to improving the lives of people with disability the Summer Foundation, in partnership with the Housing Hub, has launched the Feedback in Supported Accommodation Resource (FISAR) project.

The Summer Foundation has welcomed proposed changes to the Aged Care Act that specify “apart from First Nations persons, or people at risk of homelessness, no other younger persons will be able to access funded aged care services”.

After more than 4 years living in aged care William was finally able to move into a specialist disability accommodation apartment with the help of the Aged Care to Home service. The move came 4 days before his 52nd birthday.

The Summer Foundation welcomes the NDIS Review’s emphasis on innovation in housing and living. Ensuring housing and living supports are fit-for-purpose not only meets the needs of NDIS participants, it is also critical to overall scheme sustainability.

The Summer Foundation’s Dr George Taleporos is gearing up for another great year of Reasonable & Necessary podcasts.

The podcast aims to demystify the NDIS and features interviews with politicians, sector professionals, people with lived experience and other experts. Not one to shy away from the hard questions, Dr George’s engaging style always makes for great listening. See some podcast highlights here or subscribe so you don’t miss an episode.

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The Summer Foundation Research team recently had its work on the impact and experiences of moving into specialist disability accommodation (SDA) for people with acquired complex disability published in the peer-reviewed journal Brain Impairment.

Hi, I’m Bruce, 52 years young, living in an SDA apartment on the Gold Coast. I have a disability called arthrogryposis, which affects both joints and muscles of my major joints.

The Hospital to Home program will now be delivered by the Housing Hub. Since its establishment in 2017, the Housing Hub has expanded to offer a range of specialist support services for people with disability. It is well placed to continue delivering this exceptional service.

Welcome to our first newsletter for 2024.

We go into the new year with renewed enthusiasm and determination to see more positive housing outcomes for young people with disability and those who support them.

It’s not always easy to find the information you need about housing options.

The Housing Hub wants to make it easier to find reliable and trustworthy information to help you navigate your housing journey.

The Summer Foundation and the Housing Hub, host a range of face-to-face and online workshops for a wide range of audiences Australia-wide.

Our social enterprise, the Housing Hub, host a range of face-to-face and online workshops for a wide range of audiences Australia-wide.

Can you tell us a bit about yourself?

My name is Bridget Doyle. I’m 28 years old. I love going out for coffee, listening to music, walking my dog Lily, playing board games with friends and pottering around in my garden growing my own fruits and veggies.

Where is home for you? Can you tell us about your journey to get there?

I live in SDA in Redcliffe, Queensland. I used to live with my mum and dad, then I moved out to a shared SDA. Unfortunately that didn’t work out and now I live by myself in a SDA apartment. My parents and I had to fight hard to get single occupancy SDA – it was very stressful and took a toll on all of us fighting the NDIS but it was worth it.

It has been a tough journey to get to my current home but it has definitely been worth all of the tough times.

How did you connect to the work of the Summer Foundation?

I got involved with the Summer Foundation through my mum who had connected with the organisation previously. Then last year while I was visiting Melbourne I got to meet some of the team, which was such a lovely experience.

Can you tell us about the co-design work you have been involved with?

I have been fortunate enough to work on some projects with the Summer Foundation and been able to give my insight through my lived experience as a participant of the NDIS. I’ll hopefully also be able to create resources to help other participants navigate the NDIS more easily.

Why do you enjoy working with the Summer Foundation to share your experience and insight?

The Summer Foundation has always been a welcoming, supportive and safe space to be a part of. I love being able to give my input into projects that they’re doing.

It’s been a big year for Reasonable & Necessary, with some extremely important conversations unfolding on Dr George’s podcast. Dr George has interviewed NDIS Review Co-chairs Bruce Bonyhady and Lisa Paul twice this year. He’s also interviewed Minister Bill Shorten, international disability expert Simon Duffy and former Disability Royal Commissioner Alaistair McEwan, to name a few.

The 2022/23 Annual Report was launched on 2 November at the Annual Public Forum. The report shares highlights of the work we are doing to resolve the issue of younger people in aged care. Using the Summer Foundation strategic priorities to structure the report, it details the achievements and work in progress from the Research team, the Housing Hub, UpSkill and the Co-design team.

The Summer Foundation welcomes the emphasis on inclusive housing in the Disability Royal Commission’s final report.

As part of our continuous efforts to enhance and streamline our services, UpSkill training will now be delivered by the Housing Hub.