Community Living Unit (CLU)

About the Community Living Unit Service

The Community Living Unit (CLU) provides short-term accommodation for people with traumatic brain injury with a focus on:

• Residential respite and leisure as a component of community case management.

• The provision of short -term accommodation in response to a change in community arrangements.

Outcomes for residents include long-term support and maintenance of family cohesion, opportunities for peer interaction and personal development, as well as time to reorganise after a community crisis and develop management strategies that can assist with a return to the family and community.

The CLU is organised to provide a holistic approach to management for the individual. The LBIRU community team case managers are integral to this approach. Residents have access to the community team and community services during their stay.

There are approximately 100 - 130 admissions per year. The length and frequency of stay varies depending upon individual needs. The majority of clients are more than 2 years post injury.

Contact Details and Map 

Referral Information

Patients admitted to the Community Living Unit will need to

• Be medically stable.

• Be able to manage their own personal care and mobility with minimal prompts and support.

• Have no behaviour issues that cannot be managed within the staffing limitations.

• Agree to the share house rules and actions arising from rule breaking.

Referrals should be made to the Residential Service Manager.  Referrals are made by members of the Community Team for current clients of the Liverpool Brain Injury Unit.  Once the referral has been made, a time for the client and their family to visit the Community Living Unit is arranged to confirm they agree to the admission.

Services Provided

• Residential Care Workers
• Case Managers
• Other services may be provided as necessary by staff members from the community team (link).

Cost of Staying at the CLU

The ability to pay is not a barrier to admission to the TLU and CLU programs as they are covered by Medicare.

However, fees may apply in circumstances where clients do not have Medicare entitlements, have an ongoing or settled claim eg worker’s compensation, MVA related. In these circumstances there is a NSW Health Department schedule of fees that will apply. Further information on individual circumstances can be obtained on request.

Discharge Process

For residents with an agreed length of stay, discharge occurs according to the originally planned time period. 

For residents with specific goals, discharge is discussed and planned by staff with the client/family based on outcomes from assessment and admission goals. Planning meetings are arranged with treating team members, the client and significant people in discharge planning. Representatives from other agencies may be involved in discharge planning meetings.

Every effort is made to ensure that community support needs have been identified and strategies for addressing these needs have been implemented prior to discharge.

Special considerations

Residents not participating in their program or who have not complied with the rules of share house living may have their stay terminated early. In this situation, a referral to the community team/other service will be arranged and a follow up meeting arranged as a matter of urgency. This information is located in the information booklets provided at time of referral.