Introduced last February, the Federal Government’s Short-Term Restorative Care Programme (STRC) offers support for up to eight weeks.
Designed to be delivered at home, in aged care or a combination of both, these support packages can include physiotherapists, occupational therapists, registered nurses and more.
One such person who has benefited from the Programme is 76-year-old Maureen Heslop.
After an abscess on the base of her spine led to emergency surgery and a three-month hospital stay in 2016, Maureen had to learn to walk again, but struggled to regain her former independence.
“I’ve always been so active that it was devastating to think I would never go anywhere by myself or walk without an aid again,” she says.
But in July 2017, Maureen found out about the STRC and applied for a package through not-for-profit provider Uniting. A physiotherapist visited her house three times a week and helped her start taking steps without a walker and eventually to drive and be able to go out by herself again.
It’s a good option if you are looking for support in the short-term – and you don’t need to have been in hospital.
You can find more information here.
