Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-q99xh Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-27T02:03:31.408Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Social inclusion of people with intellectual disabilities: the impact of place of residence

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 June 2014

Roy McConkey ,
Marlene Sinclair  and
Dympna Walsh-Gallagher
Roy McConkey
Affiliation:
School of Health Sciences
Marlene Sinclair
Affiliation:
School of Nursing, University of Ulster, Newtownabbey, BT37 0QB, Northern, Ireland
Dympna Walsh-Gallagher
Affiliation:
St Angela's College, Sligo, Ireland
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Objectives: People with intellectual disabilities are increasingly living in more domestic style accommodation, either in housing provided within a specialised campus setting or in ordinary houses in community settings. The main objective of the study was to determine if the extent of residents' involvement with their families and with the local community varied when they resided in campus settings (n = 55) or community housing (n = 51) and to investigate the main predictors of this involvement.

Method: With the resident's permission, their key-workers – mainly nurses – completed standard questionnaires that covered resident characteristics, contact with families and a range of life experiences.

Results: Although the type of accommodation did have a significant effect on residents' social inclusion in families and communities, the best predictor of this was the individual's level of dependency in personal self-care. Those who were more dependent tended to be more excluded.

Conclusions: Staff working with more dependent residents need to proactively promote their social inclusion although this could be harder to achieve for those living in campus style settings.

Keywords

Social inclusionQuality of lifeIntellectual disabilityResidential services.
Type
Original Papers
Information
Irish Journal of Psychological Medicine , Volume 22 , Issue 1 , March 2005 , pp. 10 - 14
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2005

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1.Braddock, D, Emerson, E, Felce, D, Stancliffe, RJ. Living circumstances of children and adults with mental retardation or developmental disabilities in the United States, Canada, England and Wales, and Australia. Mental Retardation Develop Disabilities Res Rev 2001; 7: 115–21.Google Scholar
2.Department of Health. Needs and abilities: A policy for the intellectually disabled. Dublin; Stationery Office, 1990.Google Scholar
3.Hatton, C, Emerson, E, Kiernan, C. People in institutions in Europe. Ment Retard 1995; 33: 132–6.Google Scholar
4.Nirge, B. The normalisation principle. In: Flynn, RJ, Nitsch, KE eds. Normalisation, social integration and community services. Baltimore: University Park Press, 1980.Google Scholar
5.Emerson, E, Hatton, C. Deinstitutionalisation in the UK and Ireland: outcomes for service users. J Intellect Develop Dis 1996; 21: 17–38.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
6.Schalock, R. Reconsidering the conceptualisation and measurement of quality of life. In: Schalock, R ed. Quality of Life: Volume 1; Conceptualisation and measurement. Washington: American Association on Mental Retardation, 1996.Google Scholar
7.Department of Health. Valuing People: A new strategy for learning disability for the 21st Century. London: Department of Health, 2001.Google Scholar
8.McConkey, R, Walsh, J. An index of social competence for use in determining the service needs of mentally handicapped adults. J Ment Defic Res 1982; 26(1): 47–61.Google Scholar
9.Agar, A. The BILD life experiences checklist. Kidderminister: British Institute of Learning Disabilities, 1998.Google Scholar
10.Aylott, J. Developments in learning disability nursing over the last 10 years. Br J Nursing 2002; 11: 498–500.Google Scholar
11.Emerson, E, Robertson, J, Gregory, Net al.The quality and costs of village communities, residential campuses and community-based residential services for people with learning disabilities. Tizard Learning Disability Review 2000; 5(1): 5–16.Google Scholar
12.Walsh, PN, Linehan, C, Hillery, Jet al.Family views of the quality of residential supports. J Appl Res Intellect Dis 2001; 14: 292–309.Google Scholar
13.Janssen, CGC, Vreeke, GJ, Resnick, S, Stolk, J. Quality of life of people with mental retardation. Residential versus community living. Br J Developmental Disabilities 1995; 45: 3–15Google Scholar
14.Forrester-Jones, R, Cambridge, P, Carpenter, Jet al.The social networks of people living in the community twelve years on. Paper presented at the Inaugural Conference of IASSID Europe, Dublin, 2002.Google Scholar
15.Tossebro, J. The impact of residential group size in different service contexts. Paper presented at the Inaugural Conference of IASSID Europe, Dublin, 2002.Google Scholar
16.McConkey, R, McConaghie, J, Mezza, F, Wilson, J. Moving from long-stay hospitals: the views of Northern Irish patients and relatives. J Learning Disabilities 2003; 7: 78–93.Google Scholar
17.Goode, B. Address to United Nations General Assembly. ILSMH News: 1992; 14: Brussels: ILSMH (now Inclusion International).Google Scholar