As we approach the end of the year and the Christmas holidays we are all a little unsure whether we will be getting together with family members and loved ones to share the festive season in the way we always do. One thing we can be sure of is that we will look back on 2020 as the year that was!
Reflecting on this year, it all feels a bit unreal: bush fires, COVID-19 and the entire country in compulsory lock down! We then had to find ways to keep the virtual doors open to ensure our families were not left without support.
The year that was… changes
COVID-19 impacted the majority of NDIS Support Coordination clients. We found that we had to spend significantly more time than usual to get the best results for them. Even arranging meetings required more creativity and flexibility.
We have had some great wins along the way – finding safe supported housing for nine people with Huntington’s disease. This bodes well for the larger numbers of people with HD who will want to move from aged care into disability residential care in the coming year.
A big change in the way we support children and young people came about during the lock-down period when we extended our services to include parent counselling via video and telephone. This was successful and resulted in families staying connected with our Youth Connection Program during this time.
Offering professional support to parents and carers as a way of meeting the needs of children and young clients was based on our understanding that well-supported parents and carers have greater capacity to meet the emotional needs of their children.
Yes, all in all it’s been a mixed-up year but it was heartening to see that people are resilient and continued to sign up for our seventh Walk 4 Hope, doing it their way and in their time. Wearing their green t-shirts and getting noticed to raise both awareness and funds for Huntington’s.
Help us by sending a special gift of $50 or even $75 this Christmas. It’s not the size of the gift that’s important but the thought behind it and we are grateful for your generosity.
On behalf of all of us all here at Huntington’s NSW ACT Thank You for your dedication and for everything you do to support families affected by Huntington’s disease. We wish you and your loved ones a wonderful Christmas, and it goes without saying, a happy and healthy 2021.
