Find out how Gellibrand’s Short-Term Respite gives Janine Russell and her daughter Sharamalee Sinnathamby a break from their normal routine that they both cherish.
Before she signed up for Gellibrand’s Short-Term Respite in 2026, relatives had always supported Janine’s 32-year-old daughter Sharamalee when Janine needed a break. So, it’s an understatement to say she had her concerns when Sharamalee first spent time away from her or family.
“That first night I was very, very nervous,” she said, “but the Gellibrand people confirmed they understood that of course I was nervous and that it was normal to feel like that.”
Janine said her fears were largely about being worried no one could support Sharamalee as well as she could and general concerns about what might happen. She added, however, that before Sharamalee’s first night with Gellibrand she was able to meet the main support workers who were going to be supporting her daughter.
“They just went over a few things with me and made me feel really comfortable,” Janine said. “They were so friendly and nice to me and they really engaged with Sharamalee. Gellibrand made me feel really at ease and confident that everything was going to be okay for her.”
Sharamalee has key routines, including PEG feeding, that are part of her day. Janine said everything important in her daughter’s daily life was understood and that information was effectively shared with everyone who was supporting her.
“I was really happy with that,” Janine said.
Sharamalee’s first couple of nights at Gellibrand were geared towards a larger goal for both her and Janine: eight nights of Short-Term Respite in a row. A few months previously, a friend had invited Janine to her wedding in Bali, but added that she realised Janine probably wouldn’t be able to go.
“Sharamalee’s support coordinator was very forceful and said, ‘Yes, you’re going’!” Janine remembered. “So, it was a case of new year, new me! She had had other clients who had gone to Gellibrand before, so she connected us.”
Janine and Sharamalee both enjoyed their longer break, so much so that Short-Term Respite with Gellibrand is now a part of their lives.
“She went again on the weekend and it was really good,” Janine said, adding that she was pleased about the way in which Gellibrand kept Sharamalee engaged, including going for walks in search of animals, which Sharamalee loves to do.
“They also went to the Science Gallery in the city,” Janine added. “When I’m just with her at home, I can’t be switched on all the time and say, ‘Well, let’s go do this or that’. So, I really like that with Gellibrand she gets out and experiences things.”
Click on the images below to view our gallery:
