Background: This study reports on the hospitalisation experiences of older adults with intellectual disability living in group homes. Methods: Grounded dimensional analysis was used to guide data collection and analysis. Group home residents were tracked prospectively over a 3-year period. Interviews were conducted with family, group home, and…

Background: Increased life expectancy for people with intellectual disability is accompanied by increased age-related health concerns. People ageing with intellectual disability experience more health conditions and are relocated to aged care earlier than their age peers. Method: Group home staff were surveyed about their (a) training and…

Background: Australian government policy regards people with intellectual disability (ID) as citizens with equal rights, which means that they should have access to the same opportunities as the wider community. Ageing in place is central to aged care policy in Australia for the general population. Method: This paper reviews policy to support the…

A high proportion of adults with intellectual disability (ID) who live in supported accommodation (i.e. group homes) engage in challenging behaviours (CB). A lack of engagement in meaningful activity, social isolation, communication difficulties, and boredom can be triggers for challenging behaviour. There is a small body of literature on…

Background: This paper explores how group home staff in Victoria, Australia, responded to residents with an intellectual disability (ID) as residents developed age-related health conditions. Method: The analysis was based on a longitudinal study that followed 17 ageing group home residents over a 3-year period. Eighty-three interviews were…

Background: Planning for future care after the death of parental caregivers and adapting disability support systems to achieve the best possible quality of life for people with intellectual disability as they age have been important issues for more than two decades. This study examined perceptions held by family members, group home staff and…

Studies assess children's satisfaction with their current placement experiences in South Australian alternative care. Over 80 per cent of children reported being satisfied with both their case-worker and their placement, although children in residential care reported being less satisfied than their counterparts in foster care. (Contains 16…

Background: Active support is being introduced in many residential and respite homes in an effort to improve engagement in meaningful activity of people with intellectual disability. Method: A train-the-trainer approach was used in a large government organisation that supports people with intellectual disability in Australia. Five apprentice…

An increasing number of people with disabilities live in the community in Australia and internationally. Many of these individuals live in the family home, on their own, in hostels or in the traditional "group home" model, and receive varying levels of support and care. There is a growing concern that many of the care and support needs…

Background: Physical activity influences health in individuals and within populations. This study explored factors perceived as enabling or inhibiting participation in physical activity by adults with intellectual disability from a health promotion perspective. Method: Six focus group interviews were conducted: adults with intellectual disability…

This paper reports on outcomes of a deinstitutionalization project for children with severe multiple intellectual and physical disabilities, in which 98 residents of a hospital were relocated to small group homes. Positive effects were found in self-care and in social interactions. No meaningful changes in physical health were observed. (Author/PB)

Attention is drawn to important themes thought likely to influence the continuing development of group care services for children and young people in the decade ahead. These include a poorly educated workforce, autonomous training, multi-disciplinary approaches, centres of excellence, diversified programs, new trends and issues shaping the future,…

This paper provides an overview of demographic characteristics of direct-service personnel in Melbourne community residential units for intellectually disabled individuals. Many are found to be relatively inexperienced participants in the workforce, and most are young, single females. Implications of these findings for quality of care and staff…

This article reports on a deinstitutionalization project for children with severe multiple intellectual and physical disabilities, in which 98 hospital residents were relocated to small group homes. Relocation generally resulted in a more varied life-routine for residents, a broader range of social activities and greater contact with their…

An analysis of data on residential services for people with mental retardation between 1995-1999 found growth in recipients of Commonwealth/State Disability Agreement-funded residential services; a decline in the proportion of people housed in large residential settings; an increase in those served in group homes; and more rapid growth in…