Over the last decade estara has delivered more than five million hours of care, empowering individuals with spinal cord injury and other disabilities in South Australia to live enriching lives.
From in-home community support and specialised disability support to social related programs, estara’s diversity allows guidance at every stage of an individual’s journey.
Originally known as Paraquad SA and HomeCare+, the benevolent organisation has brought both brands together under the one unified brand.
“estara will allow a more holistic approach in how we influence effective change and strive to remove barriers to good living, upholding the rights of people living with disability,” says estara CEO, Peter Stewart.
CEO for more than 10 years, Peter is well versed in the needs of the disability sector, as a former specialist spinal care nurse and academic, he observes how the sector has shifted in recent years and how estara will continue to advocate for those who become impacted by spinal cord injury.
“Spinal cord injury can happen to anyone at any age, and research tells us that the incidence of injury resulting from falls continues to rise, with over one third of traumatic spinal cord injury cases attributed to a fall of some kind. At the same time, injury due to motor vehicle accidents remains prevalent,” says Peter.
“Building a range of supports for people following the traumatic incidence of spinal cord injury is critical, this not only includes in home support but also social inclusion,”
“We often work with hospitals, councils and organisations to fund the delivery of equipment and aids that improve access to social activities, events and vocational training,”
Once such community initiative estara collaborated with the City of Holdfast Bay on, is the recently funded 30-metre-long beach mat and beach chairs for public use at Glenelg, giving people with spinal cord injuries or mobility issues the opportunity to access the beach.
“There are people who haven’t been onto the beach for over 20 years after acquiring a spinal or mobility injury, this equipment helps remove these barriers,” concludes Peter.
estara ’s commitment to the South Australian disability sector is paving the way for a sustainable support network for those living with spinal cord injury and other disabilities, with far-reaching services backed by a work force of over 700 people, which extends to regional locations including, Mount Gambier, Port Pirie, Port Lincoln, Kadina and Berri.
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