Kelly C

“I went from renting to couch-surfing,” says Kelly. I worked full-time, was living independently but while at work, I had a stroke.

“Initially it took my vision, speech and my right-side mobility.

“On my fourth day in hospital it was diagnosed a stroke.”

“I had support from my son and a neurological nurse, but my rental situation was a fixed-term tenancy. I had already been in my home a year before the stroke, then after another two years my lease was up and the owner wanted to sell.

“I had to plan. I received a Jobseeker Allowance with a medical exemption after leaving hospital which changed to a Disability Support Pension last year. But on $1,133.40 dollars a fortnight in this current market it’s hard to get a house. I stuck my stuff in storage and tried a shared home. It just didn’t work out and I suffered a breakdown.

“It’s awkward trying to do exercise programs on the loungeroom floor.”

“For now, I live in my son’s loungeroom. I receive NDIS support services, and I’m getting better. My nurse has been amazing, does home visits and helped me through some of the darkest, darkest times.

“I feel awkward. My son has a housemate living with him, he’s twenty-five and the housemate is twenty-six, they are very good to me but privacy and trying to live a proper life is hard when you are confined to the loungeroom. My life is literally in storage and it makes me sad as my possessions are my identity. Things I would normally do to unwind like putting music on, I need to be mindful and respectful it’s not my home now when I choose or think of doing a lot of things. It puts me back in a container.

“We hope to get a three-bedroom rental one day so I’ll get out of the loungeroom and in an actual bedroom.”