How food and conversation are fuelling Puja's recovery journey
After moving to Australia from Nepal to complete a master’s degree, Puja was left with a brain injury after a car accident. That was two-and-a-half years ago, and Puja now lives in shared supported accommodation at Forest Hill Community House, where she receives individualised care and support.
Along with assisting her to live as independently as possible, our disability support workers help Puja work towards her goals – which include improving her communication skills and pursuing her passion for food.
Puja is making a new life for herself and her support workers continue to remind and encourage Puja of her ‘abilities’, helping her feel more confident and empowered.
“I like this place,” she says. “They support me when I need it.”
Gaining strength and independence
Since moving to Forest Hill Community House in late 2022, Puja has already achieved some goals that were important to her, one of which was to get more mobile.
“I used to be in a wheelchair before,” she says. “Now I can walk in the house. And I'm getting stronger.”
Puja is still working at improving her balance, strength and fitness. Puja’s support workers help her complete exercises prescribed by a physiotherapist twice weekly at a gym and once a week in a hydrotherapy pool.
“She has a program that we run through together,” explains support worker Renee, who has been working with Puja for a year. “We’ve been smashing through her goals together.”
Support staff have noticed a significant improvement in Puja’s mobility and independence. “She's now independent and at a point where she's pretty much free to walk through the house.” explains Zach who supports all the clients within the home.
Staff also support Puja to get out into the community, visiting places like local parks and Chesterfield Farm. “I like going out with them,” Puja says, adding that she appreciates all the assistance she receives.
Coffee, conversation and connection
The brain injury also affected Puja’s ability to communicate. Her support workers help Puja with a conversational therapy program designed by a speech therapist to improve her communication skills.
Much of this program revolves around food, which is one of Puja’s main interests.
“I like to go out to eat,” says Puja, who was working at a restaurant and training to be a chef before her accident. “I like to eat Nepalese food and drink cappuccino and mango lassi.”
Renee explains the program involves things like ordering coffee and having conversations with the people she meets.
“She's in a number of social groups as well,” adds Zach, “so she goes out almost every day of the week and is communicating with lots of different people.”
“She's even occasionally making herself breakfast,” Zach says.
Puja has started talking about food, too, recently explaining how to cook dahl to Renee.
Puja’s positive attitude has also helped her build connections within the home. “She has brought all the other clients together and has such a great relationship with them,” Zach says. “She's really lightened their lives up quite a bit.”
Enthusiasm meets empowerment for achieving goals
Puja’s enthusiasm has played a significant part in helping her reach her goals. “She has a really positive attitude and takes everything in her stride,” says Renee, who describes working with Puja as “an absolute joy.”
She says Puja has a really warm personality and a great sense of humour.
“I look forward to seeing her smiling face. We have lots of laughs together.”
Puja has good things to say about her support workers, too. “I like everything about them. I depend on them.”
Puja’s next goal is to take a short holiday to Philip Island with support from Healthscope Independence Services staff, saying she is “very excited” about this prospect and especially the thought of seeing the beach again.
And while she wants to stay in Melbourne long-term, she would love to visit Nepal again someday.
