Love for Life

Project owner: Lebenshilfen Soziale Dienste GmbH

Responsible person: Mag.a Nina Baumgartner

2022

Nominated

AT

Civil Society / Social Economy

Challenge

Individuals with an eating disorder face one of the highest mortality rates. Although the number of people with eating disorders is rising, eating disorders are still taboo in society with insufficient public awareness. Outpatient and in-patient services also often do not consider their client’s life circumstances; there is also a lack of accessible, low-threshold treatments suitable for everyday life. 

Idea

Love for Life (“LeLi - Lebens.Liebe”) provides flexible therapeutic programmes integrated into our clients’ everyday lives based on their individual needs and requirements. Our programme offers stability and ensures that our clients can remain financially independent and a part of their social environments. Participants can join, change, and leave throughout the programme. Online counselling is also available as a resource. 

Actors

Love for Life supports people with eating disorders who voluntarily take responsibility to join the programme’s day centre. Our programme’s interdisciplinary team works together with clients to gradually give them back responsibility and decision-making for their own lives, adapted to the severity of the illness. 

Impact

Love for Life closes the gap between in-patient hospitalisation and home for people with eating disorders. In our programme, people with eating disorders regain personal responsibility and sovereignty over their lives. Love for Life is also a point of contact for relatives and the public; we also offer expertise and professional advice. 

Transfer

Transferability is a given. In our opinion, the main key to success is primarily to turn away from programmes with punishment and reward systems that fuel conflicts of autonomy and dependency.  Our programme’s participants have also shared their interest in this innovative approach.