Steve Irons (Swan, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Last week I met with the staff and graduates of the Brightwater Oats Street home in East Victoria Park in my electorate of Swan. Brightwater Oats Street provides a wide range of specialist services for people with brain injury and other neurological disorders. The care is focused on helping clients achieve their often difficult journey back to independent living after discharge from hospital. The program has been running since 1991 under the direction of its CEO, and 2009 Western Australian of the Year, Dr Penny Flett.

Last week it was fantastic to be able to meet three of the graduates of the program, and I would like to share some of their stories with you today, as they give a good idea of the inspirational work of Brightwater and the dedication of the patients. Stuart MacPherson sustained a brain injury 15 years prior to coming to Oats Street in 2008. When Stuart came to the centre, he was still suffering from the effects of his brain injury. He needed to relearn how to budget, how to plan and how to focus on tasks he was undertaking. Stuart also needed assistance to relearn general social skills, something that is commonly lost after a brain injury. I notice the member for Cowan, an ex-Defence Force person. Stuart was also ex-Army, so he had lost his job with the Army. But in July 2009 Stuart left Oats Street and he is now living independently in the community, although he still receives some support from Brightwater. I know he was going for a job interview on Monday, so I hope he was successful with that.

I also met June Litton, who arrived at Oats Street having spent the first four months of her recovery as a patient at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital and the Shenton Park Rehabilitation Hospital. June was determined to return to the workforce, and commendably she secured a job as a cleaner at Oats Street while still a client there. Thanks to the support of Brightwater and June’s determination, she now lives independently whilst continuing to work for Brightwater.

The final story I want to read is that of Gail Pilton. In February 2008, Gail was found unconscious in her garden by her son. She had suffered a brain haemorrhage, and she spent seven months as a patient at Royal Perth Hospital before moving to Oats Street in September 2008. Undergoing brain surgery to prevent any further brain damage, Gail continued to have problems with her memory as well as planning and problem-solving skills. Gail’s progress at Brightwater means that she has now moved into her own unit in Manning.

I would like to congratulate all the staff and graduates at Brightwater Oats Street for their dedication and care and the professionalism that they show. I understand that the board and senior management team are looking to redevelop the site at Oats Street. According to the group, the facility and building are now more than 40 years old and are costly to maintain and operate. The group wants to create a modern purpose-built complex. A recent $277,000 grant announced by the state government should help it to get close to achieving that, and I implore the federal government to look at helping to fund them as well.