transportation, and occupational therapy while recovering from hospital treatment. With this additional help – a trip with ‘Shiralee’ was finally possible. So far, Michael has been to Victor and Rapid Bay on the Fleurieu Peninsula, and Marion Bay and Port Lincoln on the Eyre Peninsula. A quest for gemstones in Victoria, visiting a brother in Melbourne and braving the chill of Tasmania are all future possibilities. “I know I want to go to the goldfields near Bendigo. I don’t want to be rich. I just want to find something!” With a willing companion in ‘Shiralee’, plus a unit and community to come home to, Michael is more excited about the journey than the destination. “I like to do things on the spur of the moment, and I must admit, I just love driving.”
Motoring on with Michael
Setting off on a road trip is something many people dream of. For Michael, who just a few years ago was on the verge of homelessness, it seemed a very distant dream. But today, standing next to his beloved campervan ‘Shiralee’, that dream has become a reality. Michael has spent the past few months travelling around South Australia in his vintage white van. ‘Shiralee’ has a bed, awning, some vintage stickers and (thankfully) an automatic transmission that’s kind on his creaky ankle. Just a few short years ago, Michael’s wife was admitted to a care facility due to advanced dementia. Unable to stay in the retirement home they had shared, Michael, who is in his 80’s and has chronic health issues from a worksite accident 20 years ago, was suddenly facing an uncertain future. “I really had nowhere to go in terms of accessing the rental markets and
Housing Choices SA was able to house Michael in a block of units with a real sense of community, providing a bit of stability to get back on his feet – literally and figuratively. “There’s a lady who brings me food and drinks, and fruit and veggies from the market garden.’ Once Michael was settled in his home, Lincoln, Housing Choices SA’s Coordinator Tenant Support advocated for him to be assessed by federal aged care service, My Aged Care, to access services under the Commonwealth Home Support Program. Michael was able to receive domestic cleaning,
I couldn’t stay in the retirement village.”
Above: One of Michael’s sketches. Right: Michael and Lincoln, pictured in front of his campervan.
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