How I Help.

I offer and source regular community and social activities to assist participants to engage with their community. This is a key factor in developing and achieving independence and social and economic participation. This works to strengthen individuals’ ability to participate independently and live the life they want through group-based activities or one on one support. Social and recreational activities are part of everyday life. These are activities everybody does for fun and can greatly help with your health and wellbeing. I will walk hand in hand with you through this journey. Together we will research and choose activities that you can enjoy and that will help you live your best life every day.

I pride myself on offering an exceptional service around meal planning, shopping, and cooking. I believe that community is formed around shared experience particularly community sharing space over a meal and the steps that go into cooking and preparing food. Whether it be one-on-one support or dinners out, I will support you in making the right choices for you that are healthy and meet any dietary requirements but are also yummy and fun. I have owned a large restaurant in Sawtell in the past and have extensive experience in food and hospitality. I enjoy preparing and cooking with clients creating meals that are aesthetically pleasing including setting the table nice etc to creating a wholistic pleasurable dining experience, both in the home and/or out and about.

I am also happy to assist in basic cooking, adhering to eating plans, and in conjunction with a client’s speech therapist if there are any issues. I can also bulk cook and freeze meals in your home if you require meals on hand in case of ill health, family or carer going away or other circumstances where you may not be able to cook your own meals or have support all the time to assist with this.

At love2live, I am able to offer and provide therapy support, working hand in hand with therapists such as Occupational Therapists, Speech Therapist’s, Behaviour management specialist, Physiotherapists etc. Some of these supports can be provided in a school setting, if required or in the home. Collectively therapeutic supports are those that help improve functional skills and independence. They’re supports that assist with all the activities of regular, daily life like personal care, moving around, communicating with others, building good relationships, and participating in the community.

I provide respite for family and carers of participants. Carers often feel overwhelmed and are fighting their own battles living and caring for someone. We all know that you can’t give from an empty cup, so respite breaks give family and carers time and space for self-care, rest and to top up their own energy levels which is essential for their own health and wellbeing. Respite can be provided weekends, weekdays, evenings, overnight, holiday periods for 24-hour support.

During a STA respite support clients are treated to a change of scenery and routine and includes opportunities to participate in activities, dining experience, visit new places or go to see attractions in a supported fashion etc that in their normal routine they may not be able to do. Some of the places I have taken clients on STA respite breaks are Port Macquarie, the Gold Coast and Sydney. Let us sit and work together so we can plan what you would like to do when spending time away from home and support you in actively engaging in the planning process. A perfect opportunity to try new things and bloom in every sense of the word.

This covers assistance with everyday personal activities that help and enable you to live as independently as possible at home and in the community. This assistance may be provided in your own home with family, living on your own or in a shared living arrangement such as supported independent living. These activities include- things such as moving in and out of bed, showering and personal hygiene, shaving/beard trimming etc, budgeting and paying bills, shopping, assistance with medical appointments etc, bathing, oral hygiene, eating, dressing, and grooming, toileting, and drinking.

Life skills are skills you need to make the most out of life. Any skill that is useful in your life can be considered a life skill. Things such as tying your shoelaces, swimming, driving a car and using a computer are, for most people, useful life skills. Other life skills can be things like communication, creative thinking, critical thinking, decision-making, taking on challenges, and making connections. I love to support participants by building these life skills focusing on building confidence capacity building and fostering independence.

Mentors encourage and guide people to manage their own personal development and can help with things like social participation, goal setting, social skills, work skills, role modelling and positive reinforcement. Mentoring is most offered as a one-to-one support providing coaching and guidance to assist with skill building and sharing knowledge via positive role models.

Adventure therapy is a holistic approach to therapy getting out and about within nature, within our local area and affar. I have been so blessed to live close to rivers, rainforests, beaches, waterfalls, national parks, and mountains. So much healing and learning can come from being out in nature and the elements. Anything you would like to try we will try and accommodate whether it be a camping trip, fishing, bush walking, surfing, exploring the local areas, I would love to assist you in being able to explore these beautiful places in a supported fashion conducive to learning new skills and enjoying amazing experiences.