Kim MacIntosh shares her appreciation of working with both Summer Housing and the Summer Foundation and the new life changing apartment she now calls home.

“I can honestly say that Summer’s work has had a strong impact on me and my quality of life. If it wasn’t for their work in getting young disabled people out of nursing homes and into independent living housing, I would still be in the nursing home where I spent 7-years of my life. I would not have had this opportunity to live in a beautiful apartment here in Belmont, NSW, that has been specially designed for my needs. I will be forever grateful for being able to live the life I have always wanted and dreamed of.

It was while I was in residential aged care that I found out about the Belle apartments in Belmont which were designed and developed by the Summer Foundation, and now owned by Summer Housing. When Summer came looking for prospective tenants I applied, and in 2017 I moved out of residential aged care and into my beautiful new apartment and embarked on a journey of independence and freedom.

I hope my story helps others to get involved and perhaps to find independence – especially those living in residential aged care.

Younger people with disability living in aged care need a voice and I am so glad that Summer Housing and the Summer Foundation has been that voice for so many through their work. I will never forget what they have done for me.

I hope they can continue to play their part in getting younger people out of residential aged care and to even help prevent them entering aged care in the first place. We need advocates like Summer Housing and Summer Foundation to keep being a voice for people with disability.

My life now is more than I could have imagined. I have a cat named Sally, I did two years at university studying Behavioural Studies and I have written my autobiography, Full Circle – Overcoming Disability Through Faith, which was published last June as an ebook.

Life in my Summer Housing apartment is great and I have never regretted my decision to move in and I doubt I ever will.”