Three disability advocacy groups — Synapse, Youngcare and the Summer Foundation — have penned a letter to National Disability Insurance Minister Bill Shorten, Aged Care Minister Anika Wells and Social Services Minister Amanda Rishworth, to address growing concerns of young Australians living with disability being placed into aged care. The three groups touch upon a growing concern of special disability accommodation (SDA). Emma Hocking, Chief Executive Officer of SDA Smart Homes says that the proposed crackdown will be welcomed, but funding cuts would be a disaster given the current rental and housing markets. “For many people who qualify for SDA accommodation, they have nowhere else to go other than public… Read More
Continue ReadingNDIS Crackdown Welcomed
One of Australia’s largest special disability accommodation (SDA) housing providers says a proposed crackdown on NDIS rorting is welcomed, but any funding cuts to disability accommodation would be disastrous. SDA Smart Homes welcomes news of a proposed task force cracking down on systemic issues within the National Disability Insurance Scheme of alleged rorting, including overcharging or creating false participants. But they warn that funding cuts in the Federal Budget to disability accommodation in the current housing market would be a disaster, especially in states such as Victoria suffering from shortages. The NDIS forecasts that demand for Special Disability Accommodation (SDA) will increase by over 60% over the next seven years. … Read More
Continue ReadingTechnology easing the burden for people who have high care needs.
Des Houghton // Saturday Insight – 12 November 2022 Karen Caddis was on top of the world preparing for her wedding to handsome Redbank Plains bus driver Russell Conyard when disaster struck. “He proposed to me, and I said yes. Not long after, things changed forever,” she said. Mr Conyard, 62, suffered a devastating stroke. “He was so glad it happened when he wasn’t driving the bus.” Canadian-born Mr Conyard had begun the long road to recovery when disaster struck again. In 2020 he suffered a second stroke that cut him down so mercilessly he can no longer feed himself, dress or bathe himself and cannot go to the toilet… Read More
Continue ReadingAriel Care in the news.
Dave Beard, Managing Director of SDA Smart Homes, spoke to Channel 7 about Ariel Care’s ground breaking assistive technology, exclusive to SDA Smart Homes. Ariel Care is a joint venture between SDA Smart Homes and V-tol aerospace. Watch the video …
Continue ReadingNDIS Land Compliance
Are you considering building an SDA dwelling on your own land? Did you know that not just the dwelling, but also the land, must meet strict NDIS compliance? Please contact us for a FREE, no obligation appraisal of your land. Our Land Acquisitions manager can help determine whether your land is NDIS compliant and suitable for an SDA dwelling. Following are some general guidelines for land requirements: The NDIS SDA Design Standards are intended to improve the lives of participants by assisting them to live in their own home that meets their individual needs and is situated in communities that facilitate social connections and a sense of belonging. It is… Read More
Continue ReadingCan I rent my house to NDIS?
This is a question we get asked a lot. The short answer: “No. It is best to build SDA (Specialist Disability Accommodation) from new.” Read on to find out why … Firstly, only a registered SDA Provider can claim SDA payments from the NDIS. SDA Smart Homes (NDIS Registered Provider #4050071176) collects and disperses tenant SDA payments on behalf of our investors. Secondly, you can not claim SDA payments for a dwelling unless it is enrolled with the NDIS. To be enrolled, a dwelling must comply to strict design standards. The complete SDA Design Standard can be found here: https://www.ndis.gov.au/providers/housing-and-living-supports-and-services/specialist-disability-accommodation/sda-design-standard#usingsda Most existing dwellings do not comply to these strict standards… Read More
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Pledge to get young people out of aged care, into community
The federal government is investing in special disability accommodation and has pledged to get all young people out of the residential aged care system within four years. Paul Fletcher Families and social services minister Paul Fletcher outlined the government’s National Action Plan for Younger People in Residential Aged Care initiative at a national specialist disability accommodation conference in Melbourne last Friday. The plan comes in response to the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety, which is examining young people in residential care as one of its terms of reference. “To those with disability aged 45 and under who are living in residential aged care today and wish to get out –… Read More
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The Specialist Disability Housing Market and How Developers Can Help: NDIS
Prompted by a Four Corners’ investigation into the aged care sector, news of an aged care royal commission rocked the industry in September, shining a much-needed light on damning reports of neglect and abuse in Australia’s nursing homes. Prompted by a Four Corners’ investigation into the aged care sector, news of an aged care royal commission rocked the industry in September, shining a much-needed light on damning reports of neglect and abuse in Australia’s nursing homes. The scope of the inquiry also includes the more than 12,000 young Australians with disabilities living in unsuitable and inappropriate accommodation, with 6,200 currently living in aged care. Young people occupy more than 20 per cent of all… Read More
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“Our research has found that inner Brisbane is now struggling to keep up with the underlying demand”- Michael Matuzik, Sept 2018.
Matuzik Missive: Inner Brisbane Apartments First a quick heads up… I have teamed up with my colleague Paul Broad to do two things: firstly, to provide a very focused project advice consultancy service and secondly to author a series of detailed new projected-related reports covering the east coast housing markets. 1. Project Advice Service Our partnership is designed to help get your project right – through advice and collaboration – as to the type of residential project best suited to the area’s population and demographic characteristics, the site’s locational attributes and prevailing market conditions. Collectively we have helped over 1,000 new housing projects. We have been in this business for 30 years. Check out our… Read More
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