About
What are we building?
A state-of-the art purpose built 6 bedroom respite care facility on Ross Road, Queanbeyan.
The facility will be called Yvonne Cuschieri House. Download floor plan and images.
Our Board
The board of directors is made up of the following community minded Queanbeyan residents:
- Founder – Yvonne Cuschieri OAM*
- Patron – Dr. Allan Hawke AC*
- Chair – Paul Walshe OAM
- Secretary/Public Officer – Hugh Percy
- Treasurer – Mary Loft
- Committee – Tony Wood OAM
- Committee – Gillian Southwell
- Committee – Allison Theuma
*Deceased
Our first board meeting, 17 April 2018.
Facts about carers
Carers provide ongoing unpaid support to family members or friends who require caring because of a terminal or chronic illness. Providing respite care facilities is an important aspect of delivering integrated care that is patient-centred.
Supporting carers is the responsibility of all levels of Government and the community.
Carers play a critical role in our community by supporting family and friends. It is estimated it would cost in NSW alone over $40 billion to replace the hours of care provided each year.
According to the Carers NSW 2016 Carer Survey report the health and wellbeing or carers continues to be significantly lower than the general Australian population. Most carers not only require health services and specific supports for the person whom they care, but also for themselves.
Across NSW there are approximately 905,000 carers or 11.9% of population. Over 290,000 people are primary carers.
There are in excess of 4,500 unpaid carers in the Queanbeyan/Palerang area.
Our Objectives
- To build a 6-bedroom respite care facility for the local Community of Queanbeyan and its surrounding region.
- To provide short-term residential accommodation for people between the ages of 18 to 60 years who are suffering from a terminal or chronic illness.
- To work with the Commonwealth and NSW State Governments to develop a sustainable funding model to run the respite care facility.
- To raise funds for the ongoing administration of the respite care facility.
- To ensure that the respite care facility is maintained as a centre of excellence.
- To ensure that the respite care facility is run by a well-respected and professional organisation. Residents can expect the very best care available from expertly trained, compassionate professional people who love what they do.
- To provide support services for families with family members resident within the facility.
- To provide carers with a well-earned break knowing their loved ones are being well cared for so they can re-energise and continue their responsibilities as a carer.
Who will operate the facility?
There are several organisations who currently provide professional respite care and support to people and their families. Respite Care for QBN would engage in one of these providers to operate the facility through a tender process.
Residents can expect the very best care available, from expertly trained, compassionate professional people who love what they do.
How Respite Care for QBN came about?
The ‘founding mother’ of the Cancer Support Group, Yvonne Cuschieri OAM has provided financial support and friendship to more than 30,000 cancer sufferers and their families over the past three decades. Yvonne’s vocation began in 1985, when she raised funds to send 13 teenagers with cancer to a Canteen camp.
It wasn’t long before social workers were knocking on her door on behalf of other families needing help and Yvonne began hosting support group meetings in her dining room. From humble beginnings, the Cancer Support Group (Rise Above) now assists around 700 patients at any one time with money for treatment and ongoing living expenses.
Yvonne was known for always putting others first, but her desire to help others affected by cancer comes from a deeply personal space. While continuing to fight her own battle with lung cancer, she lost her son to a brain tumour in 2013. This personal pain had made Yvonne even more determined to support others and to build a respite care facility in Queanbeyan. A facility that was not available for her son prior to his passing.
To support her push to provide this facility Yvonne sponsored a petition which was signed by over 2,000 people in Queanbeyan including a large majority of the doctors in Queanbeyan.
Yvonne passed away on 18 June 2021.