It started with a car accident when Rosalie was 43. Injuring her back and leg, Rosalie was led on a journey that eventually saw her lose her career and end up in unsuitable housing that didn’t support her mobility needs.
“The accident really knocked my whole plan out,” Rosalie shares. “I had a back injury which resulted in difficulty with my leg moving along.”
Suffering from immense pain, Rosalie had a spinal surgical procedure, called a percutaneous lumbar discectomy, to remove part of a disc that was contributing to her back and leg pain. At the same time, she was diagnosed with osteoarthritis, which also increased her pain and limited her mobility.
“I leaned on my left leg all the time. And I remember an orthopaedic surgeon saying, ‘Your leg, it’s going to be a hell of a thing for you’.”
And it continued to be. For the next ten years, Rosalie struggled with her mobility, which impacted her career as a high school teacher. Initially after the car accident, Rosalie continued to work full-time. But a year-and-a-half later, Rosalie’s injuries became too much to bear, so she moved to casual teaching. Then four years ago, Rosalie suffered another accident and lost part of her thumb.
“After I had an accident with my thumb, I really found out what I couldn’t do as a teacher,” Rosalie explains.
So, when Rosalie entered her 50s she decided to retire because of her limited mobility. And while Rosalie thought she could live off her superannuation, she quickly discovered she couldn’t. After becoming a causal teacher, Rosalie didn’t realise she had stopped accruing superannuation. Not having a financial nest egg to draw upon began to negatively impact Rosalie’s life in more ways.
Then over three years ago, when faced with finding a new rental home, Rosalie discovered her options were limited due to financial difficulties. Eventually, she settled for an affordable converted garage, at the back of someone’s home.
“The garage was a mistake. Everything was bad,” says Rosalie. “The house – it wasn’t suitable. There was grass out front, which was overgrown all the time. And it was a hilly area and it became increasingly difficult to go anywhere because I couldn’t walk very far.”
Finding a secure and stable home
It wasn’t until Rosalie was referred to Wesley Mission through My Aged Care that she finally found the support she needed and a safe place to call home. Together, Rosalie’s support team, Clara, Case Worker for Wesley Mission’s Assistance with Care and Housing program, Kris, Housing Lead from Wesley Community Housing and Sarah, Financial Counsellor from Wesley Financial Counselling.
“[Clara] was so positive and encouraging when I met her,” Rosalie remembers.
Clara immediately partnered with Wesley Community Housing to find Rosalie ground-level transitional accommodation that suited her accessibility needs.
“Where she was living, it was substandard, and the bathroom was small. So, we wanted to find a better housing solution that better met her needs,” Clara explains.
In June 2022, Rosalie finally moved into her new home in Newcastle – a place that supports her mobility needs.
“All of the surfaces are flat. The bathrooms are wet rooms, and she has extra space to move around with her walker,” explains Clara.
And when Rosalie first moved in, Kris would drop by every few days to check in on her wellbeing.
Clara also organised movers to bring across Rosalie’s furniture to her new home. She also purchased Rosalie a new bed and fridge and arranged for fresh fans and blinds to be fitted. And after not having a television for three years while living in the converted garage, Rosalie can now comfortably enjoy watching her favourite show, Tipping Point.
While Rosalie has her own lockable room with an ensuite, she’s also part of a community, who share communal spaces including a lounge, dining room, kitchen, laundry and outdoor areas.
Overcoming financial barriers
To support Rosalie with her finances, Clara connected Rosalie with Sarah from Wesley Financial Counselling to help resolve her credit card debt.
“Sarah managed to fight tooth and nail with Beyond Bank to get rid of that,” Clara says.
Sarah adds, “Rosalie is a classic case for debt waiver eligibility because her income’s not going to change, due to living off a pension. After three attempts trying to get the debt waived, I took the case to the Ombudsman, to ensure she received the debt waiver, and she did.”
Rosalie now finds herself in a better financial situation, not only thanks to Wesley Financial Counselling but also to Wesley Community Housing, who provide her with affordable rent.
“It’s much more affordable for her to stay here and allows her to have more money in her pocket at the end of the day,” says Kris.
Clara adds, “Because the rent is only ever 25 per cent of her income, it’s affordable. And the electricity is included in the common areas and the washing machine is all paid for. The only bill is whatever energy she uses in her room.”
Surrounded by a supportive community
Along with finding her a new home, Clara helped Rosalie access domestic support and podiatry services with Calvary and meals through Meals on Wheels. She also purchased a mobility scooter to support Rosalie with her mobility issues and connect her with the local community. Rosalie now heads out every day on her scooter and often meets her new community of friends at the local coffee shop.
“She’s built quite nice friendly relationships with the other residents who are living in the complex,” says Kris. “She has that added benefit of having somebody to keep an eye out for her as well.”
Clara adds, “She definitely seems a lot brighter and happier in herself. I think the friendships that she’s made here are just invaluable to her. And they have peer support where they can share their experiences and their frustrations. So, I think it’s a therapeutic relationship as much as a friendship.”
Surrounded by caring friends she lives with, her nine siblings who regularly visit and her supportive family at Wesley Mission, Rosalie says she now has people she can rely on and reach out to when she needs support.
“Their support has been invaluable to me. My quality of life has improved enormously. And I’m very happy here.”
