08 September 2025
International Day of People with Disability 2025
International Day of People with Disability 2025
In April 2025, mother and daughter Doreen and Megan joined our Plenty Valley home after living together in Melbourne for an incredible 56 years. Their bond is unbreakable, and when they arrived, one thing was clear—they wanted to continue sharing a room and be together. As Doreen told us, "We simply couldn't live without each other." Now, they're happily settled side by side in a shared room, just as they've always been.
An exceptional circumstance, an everyday approach
The journey to get here wasn’t straightforward though.
When Doreen’s care needs at home began to increase, she delayed entry into aged care because she could not bear to be separated from Megan. Meanwhile, Megan, supported under the NDIS, didn’t meet aged care eligibility requirements.
When they came to Plenty Valley, our team worked closely with the family, navigating complex funding arrangements and advocating for Megan so both could transition into aged care together. Special arrangements were made because separating them would have compromised their well-being.
While Megan’s placement was under unique circumstances, the care she and Doreen receive isn’t. It’s exactly what person-centred, dignified care looks like at Estia Health every day, for every resident.
As Doreen shares: “Estia Health Plenty Valley team has gone above and beyond to ensure we live together.”
What inclusion really means
Today, on International Day of People with Disability, Doreen and Megan's story reflects what inclusive care looks like, not as a policy or a checkbox, but as a commitment to seeing each person, honouring their choices, and creating genuine belonging.
Their journey illustrates principles that matter in all our care:
Dignity and respect: regardless of age, funding arrangement, or clinical needs, every person receives the same foundation of respectful, dignified care. Doreen often shares how respected she feels at Plenty Valley. She and Megan know their dignity is always upheld through the kindness and attentiveness of our team.
Choice and independence: life at Estia Health gives Doreen and Megan the freedom to make choices that matter, whether enjoying breakfast together in their room, joining friends in the dining room for lunch, or picking activities that bring them joy.
Equity in action: different clinical needs, different funding streams, or different backgrounds, none of this changes how we care. Megan's disability support needs and Doreen's aged care needs are both honoured within the same space. True person-centred care adapts to the individual, not the other way around.
The Rights that guide us
Every resident at Estia Health has rights – to dignity, to respect, to choice, to independence. These aren’t just words in the Statement of Rights, they’re promises we keep every single day.
Doreen and Megan's story shows how we put these rights at the centre of what we do. We listen to what matters most. We deliver care that sees the person first. And we contribute to creating communities where everyone belongs.
By honouring resident choices and advocating for equity, we’re not just caring for people, we’re contributing to a society that moves forward together. Doreen and Megan’s journey reminds us that social progress starts with equity, dignity, and choice for all.
