Born and raised in Australia, Angelo’s family hails from Bari, Italy, bringing rich Italian traditions into his life. Living with his mom in Canada Bay, Sydney, 47-year-old Angelo accesses Respite 3-4 times a month – from Mondays to Wednesdays. This break gives his mum, his main caregiver, some well-deserved rest and peace of mind while Angelo enjoys the care and community that CPA Respite offers.
Angelo first visited Chester Hill’s Respite home more than two decades ago and has never considered another service provider. “I can’t speak highly enough of the team,” he says. He particularly admires House Manager Elisabeth and Assistant House Manager Grace.
“Grace’s way of doing things is just wonderful. She’s an excellent communicator, we exchange emails, and when we meet, we laugh for hours.”
It’s this welcoming, friendly environment that has kept Angelo coming back month after month, year after year. House Manager Elisabeth describes Angelo as “a friend and a gentleman.”
“Angelo always makes everyone feel welcome at Chester Hill – be it staff or new and exciting clients who come to respite. Over the last 23 years he’s made a lot of friends at respite.” Elisabeth
Angelo’s passion is food and cooking, in fact he’s a self-proclaimed food critic! He loves pizza—especially when he makes his own dough from scratch! At Respite, he spends time in their fully accessible kitchen, where he can enjoy cooking with independence with other clients. His enthusiasm for cooking even inspired him to start his own business through a CPA cooking program, sharing his culinary skills with others.
Angelo really enjoys the simple things in life – food and conversation; having a cup of coffee with a cake and a chat with staff and other clients. During his Respite stays, Angelo also loves to get out into the community. There are always different people at Respite to meet and there’s a wheelchair accessible vehicle available for outings. Whether he’s out at Burwood Shopping Centre or at the movies watching a good romance, he enjoys meeting new people and sees it as a chance to raise awareness about people with cerebral palsy.
Back home with his mum, Angelo cherishes quiet time, taking it easy and relaxing in familiar surroundings. His deep family connections extend back to Italy, where he has visited both Rome and his family’s hometown of Bari.
Through his regular visits to CPA’s Chester Hill Respite, Angelo finds balance, companionship, and the chance to embrace his passions. CPA’s Respite services offer invaluable support for people like Angelo and their families, ensuring they can continue to thrive both at home and within the community, giving families peace of mind and supporting individuals to live with purpose.
