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Planning and decision making about the future care of older group home residents and transition to residential aged care
- Authors:
- BIGBY C., BOWERS B., WEBBER R.
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Intellectual Disability Research, 55(8), August 2011, pp.777-789.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
Significant increases in life expectancy have led to a growing number of ageing people with intellectual disability. Planning for future care after the death of parental caregivers and adapting support systems to achieve the best possible quality of life for ageing people with intellectual disability are becoming increasingly important. This study examined perceptions held by family members, group home staff and organisational managers about the future of older residents and the decisions about moving to residential aged care. Three sets of interviews over a period of 18 months were conducted with a family member, house supervisor and the programme manager for each of seventeen older group home residents in Victoria, Australia. For the eight people for whom it was decided a move was necessary, and the six who eventually moved, questions focussed on the decision-making process. While plans for lifelong accommodation in a group home proved unfounded, key person succession plans were effective. However, decisions to move on to residential aged care were often made in haste and seen as a fait accompli by involved family members. The authors conclude that although family members take seriously their mandate to oversee well-being of their older relative, they have little knowledge about their rights or avenues to safeguard untimely or inappropriate decisions being made by professionals.