Independent living is a way of helping senior citizens live on their own, or helping children in foster-care work toward self-determination, self-respect and equal opportunities in life. Independent living is not defined as a means of living on ones own; it has to mainly do with self-determination and the opportunity to pursue a stipulated course of action. They have the freedom to fail, and to learn from failure. To the people with mental impairments, independent living means has an opportunity to be self-sufficient.

There are many independent living communities that help people with disabilities establish independent lives. These independent living communities differ from other service organizations in that in these communities, the inhabitants are taught to become self-sufficient to earn money for their day-to-day life. As the name implies, they are taught to be independent, without having to depend on others. Senior independent living homes let senior citizens live life happily, without having to be dependent on their children or any other person for their daily meals and necessities. Children who have outgrown foster houses can learn trades in independent living communities, which they can use in their future lives to earn money. These children are born with no one to depend on, and so have to be taught to live an independent life without depending on others.

There are also many independent living aids available to let senior and disabled people carry on in life. Some of them are talking dictionaries to facilitate better reading, canes for the blind and for those with weak legs, and even hearing aids for those with hearing problems. The main purpose of independent living aids is to ensure that the user need not be dependent on others for their day-to-day activities.