Following an accident in 2013 at the young age of 52, Ms Warn become a paraplegic and found herself living in an aged care home, a place she didn't fit into on many levels.

A six-year fight to live independently in her home would follow.

She had to sell her house and give away all her furniture to her daughter.

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The aged care facility needed a hefty deposit, too. But Ms Warn continued her work as a distance educator at Charles Sturt University.

After some time, she had to give it up though as aged care facility routines aren't really compatible with residents who work.

Because the ratio of care staff to residents is lower in nursing homes than disability care, Ms Warn believe she wasn't getting the support she needed.

"My mental health was significantly impacted for those first three years," she said.

"I think it was the lack of warning of where I would be discharged to. I was led to believe I would remain in rehab for longer as I was told there was still room for improvement.

"Living in an aged care facility hadn't even entered my mind, so it was a real shock."

Staff at the residential facility thought Ms Warn was depressed because she wasn't interacting with other residents, but she had her reasons.

"I deliberately didn't get close to other residents for a few reasons. There's a lot of death in an aged care facility and I don't take death well," she said.

"I didn't want to play bingo, watch 1930s' movies or do Zumba. I didn't join in as I just wasn't interested, not because I was depressed. My interests were different like working on my laptop and running an eBay store selling charms."

Ms Warn hatched a slow-burn plan to move out and her strategy pivoted on to applying for a National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) plan.

"When the NDIS rolled out in the Central West in July 2017, I didn't really understand it much, but I still applied," she said.

Eventually, an NDIS planner came out to see her in person and talked with her about her goals and plans.

She faced numerous roadblocks in her quest for freedom but thanks to LiveBetter, Ms Warn got her Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) funding approval in May last year thanks to LiveBetter support coordinator Kristen Holgate.

She would move into her new unit at the end of 2019.

For now, she has 24/7 support but expects it to taper off as her independence increases.

"I'm back in control of my life. I set my own routine. I love doing my own grocery shopping - it's wonderful opening up the pantry or fridge and seeing what's in here," she said.

"The food in the aged care facility was high in fat and sugar and I had no choice about my diet there."

"I'm finding more social outlets like trivia nights and meat raffles at the local pub. Even op shopping. I like living by myself and making my own decisions.

"And I'm wild about making diamond art where you use rhinestones - that look like diamonds - instead of paint. You really lose yourself in it and the time flies. There's a lot I'm looking forward to."

To view the original story that appeared on the LiveBetter website, click here.