What Is A Living Community

Many studies show us that isolation is detrimental to mental and physical well-being. The recent coronavirus pandemic is proof of this, as people have had to develop new ways to interact and maintain the ties to the community that were suddenly severed.

Lockdowns have caused a massive spike in access to mental health services across the country, as people seek assistance in dealing with the fear, anxiety, and loneliness brought on by extended periods of isolation.

And while out of necessity, people have been able to stay connected digitally, there are no more significant connections than those we have in the outside world. Social media, Zoom meetings, text, email, and video calls may work in the short term. Still, humans are social creatures, and even the most naturally anti-social of us have cried out for the company of other people.

For a community to live, it needs sustenance. Like a living organism, it requires constant nourishment to grow. And just like a living organism, we must work to protect the parts of our communities that are the most vulnerable, and this includes people living with disabilities.

Many of us who live with a disability already feel isolated. We must overcome the barriers to participation, whether those barriers be physical or mental. But while the current science may in some cases have its limitations, there ought to be nothing stopping us from participating as best we can, utilising all the tools available to us.

Sometimes, we get lost in the shame and stigma of admitting that perhaps we can’t be as independent as we would like. Or maybe we are not even sure what it is that we need, we just know that something is missing. When that happens, we can get trapped in isolation, and our deterioration is almost guaranteed to accelerate.

Navigating the range of services and the bureaucracy involved with accessing those services can present a challenging barrier to accessibility. We have found that when things get too confusing many of us will simply give up in frustration, reinforcing that sense of isolation.

That’s where Living Communities can change lives. We operate as a single point of truth, dedicated to ensuring that you get the assistance you need to be able more proactively participate within your community.

Whether you need assisted access to go shopping, someone to come over and prepare some regular home-cooked meals, or just someone to go out to coffee with, Living Communities is that link between you and active participation in your local community.

A community is only as healthy as its members, and a community is only truly alive when everyone can enjoy its benefits. That includes you.

Living Communities. It’s about being connected.