Community connection and friendship to lead a good life
For many of our clients, community connection and respectful relationships were two of the most important aspects of living a good life.
Living a ‘Good Life’ is individual to each person and means something different to each person.
We spoke to our clients and asked what it means to them to lead a ‘Good Life’. Clients highlighted the things that mattered most to them. They expressed that gardening, or cooking with family, and going for walks with friends, activities that helped realise independence and brought joy and meaning in everyday life was important to them.
For many of our clients, community connection and respectful relationships were two of the most important aspects of living a good life.
Friends and family
We found that connections with family and friends mattered and that a shared life, and one with laughter, was a richer one. People wanted to feel respected in the relationships they had.
“To lead a good life is to…chill out with friends and stuff like that,” said Lindy, a Yooralla Community Hub client.
Justin, also a Hub client, “likes hanging out with my friends and family, we play games watch movies.”
William agrees that “seeing his friends and having a good time” are an important part of a Good Life.
“We go for a walk or have a picnic out in the park, or go and buy lunch,” said William.
Community connections
Connecting with people and getting out and about in the community was another very clear message about what a Good Life means to people with disability.
A Good Life for Justin means “to get out in the community… we get to do all the good programs like dancing, meals on wheels all that kind of stuff, I enjoy it.”
“It’s good to meet new people…just saying hello to them,” said Justin.
Lindy is also building her connections through programs at her Community Hub.
“Women’s group is good to go out and talk to people. I like talking to people. Makes me feel happy to not be staying home. I hate staying home all the time. I like coming here to talk to friends,” said Lindy.
William is also developing skills to increase his community connection through programs at his Hub, including Postcard Adventures.
“I really enjoy postcard adventures,” said William.
“We [Hub clients] talk about it [where to go], then we choose the outing, and we go from there.”
“[We] go out into the community, learn how to use public transport,” said William.
Supporting our clients to lead a ‘Good Life’
Yooralla is raising funds to create and extend programs that support people with disability to lead a ‘Good Life’.
We will co-design programs with our clients that support them to live a good life, including supported decision-making, food and nutrition workshops, financial literacy training, health coaching, community connectivity programs, exercise and movement, and more.