Supported living begins with the fundamental belief that every person has the right to lead their own life - determine how they live, with whom they live and who will provide help and support. In this article, Peter Kinsella characterises what supported living is, discusses the key factors for its success and gives examples of how people have achieved it. He concludes by noting that there is enough anecdotal and researched based evidence to show that supported living is a viable alternative to institutional care, and that the real challenge will be in applying the concept to difference cultures.