Big hope for Tiny Home at St John of God Hauora Trust
St John of God Hauora Trust is fundraising $100,000 for a Tiny Home to increase accommodation options for its residents living with physical and neurological disability.
21 February 2019
St John of God Halswell is planning to build the accessible small home to provide more accommodation for its residents looking to transition back into independent living.
St John of God Halswell Southern Regional Manager of Health and Ability Services Virginia Spoors said it was vital to provide appropriate accommodation while addressing high demand for our quality service.
“We operate at close to 100 per cent occupancy for residential care throughout the year," she said.
"Any increase in accommodation is vital in allowing us to support more people, but is also providing the right living arrangement for people at the right time in their rehabilitation journey.”
The Tiny Home has incorporated accessibility throughout its design from end to end. This includes expected features like ramps, ceiling hoists, sleeping area and bathroom functionality as well as innovation in cabinetry, kitchen layouts and an expandable section of the house.
St John of God Halswell resident Josh Caldwell is one of the potential candidates who could benefit from the increased independence of a Tiny Home.
His life changed dramatically nearly three years ago when he was diagnosed with transverse myelitis, a rare auto-immune disease which causes inflammation in the spinal cord. Josh has been a resident at St John of God Halswell since August 2016, moving last year into our six room transitional living facility Pampuri House.
Josh is active in his advocacy for people living with disability holding an appointment as Family & Peer Network Coordinator for the New Zealand Spinal Trust.
Moving to a more independent living option would support his professional development and ongoing transition towards a fully independent community setting.
The Tiny Home will be trialled at the St John of God Halswell site where the resident can still access the full clinical and rehabilitation and therapy support of our Health and Ability Services.
A fundraiser will be held on Sunday 3 March in Christchurch featuring jazz music from Sam White's Quartet to raise money for the project.