Search results for ‘Subject term:"learning disabilities"’ Sort:
Results 1 - 10 of 16
Personal vs. proxy focus groups' perspectives on quality of life
- Authors:
- HOLBURN Steve, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Policy and Practice in Intellectual Disabilities, 4(3), September 2007, p.210–212.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
The authors present a finding from a larger study that investigated variation in perspective among different stakeholder focus groups about enhancing quality of life (QoL) of individuals with intellectual disabilities living in group residences in New York. The report illustrates how self-advocates' interests in enhancing QoL were distributed approximately evenly across home life, relationships, and community, while other groups (family members, direct support staff, and residence managers) were principally concerned about QoL as it pertained to home life. This finding speaks to the importance of querying people with intellectual disabilities personally when assessing QoL.
Towards a more meaningful life: person centred active support
- Author:
- -
- Journal article citation:
- Community Connecting, 9, Summer 2007, pp.10-11.
- Publisher:
- Community Connecting
This article discusses the work of United Response in developing the approach Person-centred Active Support.
The quality of life of family caregivers of adults with intellectual disabilities in Taiwan
- Authors:
- CHOU Yuey-Ching, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities, 20(3), May 2007, pp.200-210.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
Taiwanese family carers of people with intellectual disabilities not only suffer from long-term stress but also need to cope with social difficulties. The aim of this study is to evaluate the quality of life (QOL) among family carers of people with intellectual disabilities. A census interview survey was conducted in Hsin-Chu City in Taiwan and included the primary family caregivers of 792 adults with intellectual disability who were living with their families. The survey packet contained the WHOQOL-BREF Taiwan-version scale with four core domains and the activities of daily life/instrumental activities of daily life (ADL/IADL) scales. The mean score for ‘physical’ was highest and that for ‘environment’ was lowest. The strongest predictors of caregivers QOL were the caregiver's health status, their family income and the level of severity of the intellectual disability of the adult. The results of the study support the need to expand services and individualize support to families of adults with intellectual disability living in family homes.
Operationalizing quality of life for people with profound multiple disabilities: a Delphi study
- Authors:
- PETRY K., MAES B., VLASKAMP C.
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Intellectual Disability Research, 51(5), May 2007, pp.334-349.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
In a previous study the authors constructed an item pool that contains items on the quality of life (QOL) and related aspects of support of people with profound multiple disabilities (PMD). In this study, a panel of experts assessed the content and the structure of this item pool in order to enhance its validity and usefulness. A two-round Delphi study was set up. The panel consisted of 45 experts, of whom 12 were theory-experts, 12 practice-experts and 12 experience-experts from Belgium (n = 12), Germany (n = 12), the Netherlands (n = 11) and the UK/Ireland (n = 10). Both quantitative and qualitative methods of analysis were applied to the data. The majority of the items were considered relevant for the QOL of people with PMD. In the first round, 91% of the items reached the 80% criterion of consensus. In the second round, 78.7% of the items reached the 85% criterion of consensus. There were no significant differences in opinion neither between types of experts nor between countries. Several items were reported as missing in the item pool and were added. The results provide some evidence that the item pool is a valid operationalization of QOL of people with PMD and can be used in an instrument to measure the QOL of this target group.
A review of quality of life issues and people with autism spectrum disorders
- Author:
- PLIMLEY Lynn A.
- Journal article citation:
- British Journal of Learning Disabilities, 35(4), December 2007, pp.205-213.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
This article draws on existing theory and research findings in the field of quality of life (QoL) and those with learning/intellectual disability and extrapolates current thinking in terms of measurable domains of QoL. The condition of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) is becoming increasingly prevalent in the sector of supported living and adult residential care. The author examines the core features of ASD and applies known characteristics to ways in which QoL domains and assessment tools can be adapted to people with ASD.
Quality of life of adults with intellectual disabilities who live with families in Taiwan
- Authors:
- CHOU Y. C., et al
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Intellectual Disability Research, 51(11), November 2007, pp.875-883.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
Little research has been conducted about the quality of life (QOL) of people with intellectual disabilities (ID) in Taiwan, particularly their subjective QOL. This study examined the personal perceptions of these individuals as measured on internationally recognized core QOL domains and indicators. A census interview survey was conducted in Hsin-Chu City in Taiwan; 233 adults aged over 16 years with mild ID and living with their families participated in the study. Data were collected using the Cross-Cultural QOL Indicators (CCQOLI) together with socio-demographic data that included ‘activities of daily living’ and ‘instrumental activities of daily living’ (IADL). The CCQOLI were based on the three most commonly reported indicators of each of the eight QOL domains: emotional well-being, interpersonal relations, material well-being, personal development, physical well-being, self-determination, social inclusion and rights. Each indicator has two sets of questions related to the indicator's ‘importance’ and ‘use’. These are answered by the respondent using a 4-point Likert scale. The importance and use of the QOL indicators were evaluated positively by the respondents. The adults' individual characteristics, namely IADL and educational level, were significant predictors for the ‘importance’ while the adults' perceptions of ‘use’ for overall QOL were significantly affected by his/her socio-economic data, that is, residence location and father's educational level. The present study addressed the issue of self-reported QOL in people with ID in Taiwanese society, becoming a possible benchmark for similar measurements carried out by disability movements there. These results contribute to current advocacy efforts towards creating a supportive environment for people with ID.
Support characteristics associated with the quality of life of people with profound intellectual and multiple disabilities; the perspective of parents and direct support staff
- Authors:
- PETRY Katja, MAES Bea, VLASKAMP Carla
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Policy and Practice in Intellectual Disabilities, 4(2), June 2007, pp.104-110.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
The authors examined which support characteristics are associated with the quality of life (QOL) of people with profound intellectual and multiple disabilities (PIMD). The authors invited parents and direct support staff of people with PIMD to adopt the perspective of their child or the person with PIMD for whom they care. Some 76 parents and direct support staff of people with PIMD were interviewed, and to obtain data, transcripts were analyzed in-depth. The respondents mentioned: (1) characteristics with regard to the structure of the setting (physical environment, staff ratio, staff turnover, group size, and group composition); (2) characteristics with regard to the internal organization of the support (partnership, teamwork, interdisciplinary, and support planning); and (3) characteristics with regard to the support staff (experience, sensitive responsiveness, commitment and motivation, physical strength, knowledge and skills, and self-reflection). The respondents considered structural as well as operating features of the support setting to be important for the QOL of people with PIMD. The authors conclude that their main emphasis, however, was on the central role of direct support staff in supporting people with PIMD.
The use of Dementia Care Mapping in people with a learning disability and dementia
- Authors:
- FINNAMORE Tracey, LORD Sharon
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Intellectual Disabilities, 11(2), June 2007, pp.157-165.
- Publisher:
- Sage
- Place of publication:
- London
Dementia Care Mapping is a method for evaluating quality of life in and quality of care of people with dementia and has been used widely in services for older adults. This article presents a report of Dementia Care Mapping for eight adults with learning disabilities and dementia. Trained `mappers' observed individuals over a set period and recorded their behaviour every 5 minutes. The person was then assigned a wellbeing or ill-being value for each 5 minute period, based on the mapper's empathic judgement as to how the individual was feeling at that time. Any examples of particularly positive or negative events were also recorded and the results fed back to the staff team. Data were used to aid care planning, and outcomes are reported.
Self- and caregiver-reported experiences of young adults with developmental disabilities
- Authors:
- ROUSH Susan E., et al
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Social Work in Disability and Rehabilitation, 6(4), 2007, pp.53-73.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
- Place of publication:
- Philadelphia, USA
Six males and ten females (mean age 24) with developmental disabilities were interviewed, and the narrative data analysed to reveal six themes: home life; relationships; health and health care; personal growth and accomplishments; occupation; and transportation. The subjects’ most positive experiences were associated with integrated, timely and comprehensive services delivered by knowledgeable and sensitive service providers. Strong parental advocacy was important in this context. Experiences were also most positive when daily activities occurred within the sphere of either the family or the disability community, as opposed to the broader community. The authors conclude that further research is needed into the issues surrounding the transition to adulthood for young people with developmental disabilities. (Copies of this article are available from: Haworth Document Delivery Centre, Haworth Press Inc., 10 Alice Street, Binghamton, NY 13904-1580).
Pennine Court: remodelling sheltered housing to include extra care for people with learning difficulties
- Authors:
- LATTO Shena, CROOKES Victoria
- Publisher:
- Care Services Improvement Partnership. Housing Learning and Improvement Network
- Publication year:
- 2007
- Pagination:
- 21p.
- Place of publication:
- London
This Case Study describes the development of extra care housing opportunities for older people with learning difficulties within a conventional sheltered housing scheme in Salford. It details the key stages and features of the development process, and shares the lessons learned from this in the hope that they will be useful to other commissioners and providers of housing and support services considering/involved in: remodelling sheltered housing; developing extra care for people with learning difficulties; integrating provision for people with learning difficulties with mainstream provision for people as they age.