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Family care of adults with intellectual disabilities: analysis of Finnish policies and practices
- Author:
- MIETTINEN Sonja
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Policy and Practice in Intellectual Disabilities, 9(1), March 2012, pp.1-9.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
In this article, the care strategies of parents of adult children with intellectual disabilities are explored. Interviews were conducted in 14 families throughout Finland, with the parent who had the primary responsibility of caring for the adult child with intellectual disabilities. The parents were middle-aged or older, and their children had been living with them their entire lives. The youngest child was under 20, and the oldest was in his late 40s. Findings revealed two main strategies the parents employed or attempted to employ: the family care strategy characterized by an intention to care for the person with intellectual disabilities at home as long as possible; and the normalisation strategy characterized by the expectation that children with intellectual disabilities will move away from home as they grow up and start a life of their own. The study was intended to demonstrate that exploring the factors that underpin the dependence of care recipient is important not only from the perspective of care recipients, but also from the perspective of their carers. It showed that at the same time, as the fiscal austerity policies restrict the possibilities of adult children with intellectual disabilities to start an independent life, they compel in direct and indirect ways their parents to adopt long-term, often heavy, care responsibilities. Implications for policy are discussed.
Normalization fifty years beyond-current trends in the Nordic countries
- Author:
- TØSSEBRO Jan
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Policy and Practice in Intellectual Disabilities, 9(2), June 2012, pp.134-146.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
The notion and principles of normalisation is a main contribution from the Nordic countries to the development of policies and practices in services for people with intellectual disabilities (ID). The purpose of this paper is to explore the practical developments of these services and policies in the countries where the concept emerged and, in particular, the developments that took place after the turn of the 20th century. These years are of special interest because the countries saw important reforms during the 1990s, regarding both deinstitutionalisation and decentralisation. The aim of the paper is to address the developments that took place after the reform energy decreased and political attention had faded. The comparative analysis is based on research reviews in the 5 Nordic countries. The analysis observed a trend toward larger group homes and congregations, inequality across municipalities, marketisation, and new public management, but also an increasing emphasis on consumer rights and the use of the personal assistance scheme in services for people with ID. The article concludes that diverging trends coexist, with improvements going together with significant setbacks. It explores the trends from a political science perspective, noting how they relate to recent shifts in public management and changing drivers of change.
Occupational identity of staff and attitudes towards institutional closure
- Authors:
- VESALA Hannu T., TEITTINEN Antti, HEINONEN Pilvikki
- Journal article citation:
- Tizard Learning Disability Review, 19(3), 2014, pp.134-141.
- Publisher:
- Emerald
Purpose: This paper analyses the attitudes of direct care workers towards the closure of an institution, and these attitudes’ relation to workers’ occupational identity. Design/methodology/approach: Data were collected by postal questionnaire before the closure of the institution. The respondents consisted of two groups: direct care workers of the institution (n=93) and direct care workers of community-based residential units run by the same organization (n=117). Findings: The results clearly show that direct care workers in the institution, as a group, were against the closure of the institution. This is understandable, because the closure will irrevocably affect their work and also private life. There was also variance in the attitudes within this group: some were more willing to accept the change, some were more against it. Those opposing the closure seemed to be more reluctant in adopting the new kind of identity as supporters of the self-determination of their clients and also they felt more insecure about their own competence. (Edited publisher abstract)