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Changes in the provision of residential care for adults with an intellectual disability: a national longitudinal study
- Authors:
- KELLY Fionnola, McCONKEY Roy
- Journal article citation:
- Tizard Learning Disability Review, 17(1), 2012, pp.4-10.
- Publisher:
- Emerald
The Republic of Ireland has a National Intellectual Disability Database (NIDD) of persons with an intellectual disability, which is updated annually. It records people living in various forms of residential provision as well as those living with family carers. This study used NIDD data to explore changes in provision of residential care from 1999 to 2009 for nearly 8,000 adults with intellectual disability in Ireland living in congregated or community-based accommodation. The analysis found that the largest area of growth over the ten-year period was in the provision of community group homes, with just under 50% of people living in community settings by 2009. There was a reduction in the number of places in congregated options, but more people were living in new forms of congregated provision designated specialist units. The article points out that a move from congregated living arrangements to more homely, community-based accommodation is a policy objective in many developed countries, and asserts that outmoded models of residential provision are likely to persist unless there is sustained investment in new forms of provision.