Concierge service changing lives
The freedom to live independently is something many of us take for granted. For people with disabilities, this presents unique challenges but the concierge service run by NNA Direct Support Service at The Grace in Sydney is helping make this life a reality.
The Grace provides single-level apartments designed to meet High Physical Support design requirements under the NDIS. Our dedicated team of healthcare professionals come from a variety of backgrounds but are united in their commitment to help clients to live in a home that meets their needs and actively participate in the community.
Hyojong Lim has worked in the disability support sector in Australia for the past three years. In South Korea he was employed in a very different industry yet his desire to help others has enabled him to make a big impact in this new sector.
“I previously worked in technology and I’ve always been interested in how tech can help improve lives,” Lim said.
“At The Grace one of our participants is a young man who is very clever but has problems with his fine motor skills.
“Through talking to him about how to improve his standard of living we discussed Siri. He can use it but didn’t have many connected devices.
“We were able to get connected lights and also a Google Chromecast. He is now so happy he can turn on the lights or tv himself without needing to call for help.”
Father of three Jho Baconaje has worked in the disability support industry in Australia for the past five years after previously working as nurse in The Philippines. He says enabling participants to have enhanced independence is the most rewarding part of his job.
“We do a wide range of things to support the participants within their homes as well as aiding their access to social activities and involvement in the community,”
Jho said.
“Although my Bachelor of Nursing isn’t recognised in Australia, I enjoy this work as I’m still able to use my skills and training to help improve the lives of others.
“I’m also lucky the flexibility of my shifts allows me to work around the needs of my only family. I have three young daughters and most afternoons I can finish my shift in time to pick them up after school.”
This article was first published by PeopleIN's on 30/08/22 here.
