A Place to call home

An Australind resident who purchased a seven-bedroom property hopes to provide a holiday home for people with disabilities and their carers.

Jo Weston has cared for her daughter who has lived with a disability for 27 years. She said when it came to holidays, there was nowhere for people in the South West to go.

Recently she realised a passion to provide alternative accommodation or a respite place for carers and people with a disability, when she bought a seven-bed, fully accessible home in Australind.

Called Carinya Cottage, the house can cater for people with disabilities who need high care, with access to hospital beds, hoists and equipment, and other bedrooms for low care needs.

The house also includes fully accessible bathrooms, a heated pool, and a patio area with a barbecue.

The concept is known as a host family, providing alternative accommodation to people with a disability to interact with other people in a homely environment.

With her background, Ms Weston is able to provide full care for people during their stay.

She said the host families were hard to come across and other alternative accommodation services were often institutional and usually charged by the hour, costing carers thousands of dollars.

“I could see there was a need for something to be available that was less institutionalised, so when it’s your own home you can do it as a host family for clients,” she said.

“This is very much about wanting them to feel like they’re in a homely space and giving them choice and control over what they want to do.

“It’s something that’s well needed.”