Search results for ‘Subject term:"learning disabilities"’ Sort:
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Celebrating the ordinary: the emergence of options in community living as a thoughtful organization
- Authors:
- O'BRIEN John, O'BRIEN Connie Lyle, JACOB Gail
- Publisher:
- Inclusion Press
- Publication year:
- 1998
- Pagination:
- 248p.,illus.,diags.
- Place of publication:
- Toronto
Options in Community Living is a small, local agency supporting about a hundred people with developmental disabilities in Madison, WI. Written from the point of view of the staff, part one describes and analyses Options and includes policies and documents. Part two contains accounts by staff of their work with users at the project.
Implementation and evaluation of active support
- Authors:
- BRADSHAW Jill, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities, 17(3), September 2004, pp.139-148.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
Active support was implemented in three community houses (active support houses), with 11 service users with severe learning disabilities. This was evaluated with reference to changes in levels of engagement, challenging behaviour (major and minor) and staff contact, measured against three comparison services (non-active support houses). All measures increased for the active support houses. Significant increases in activity levels were found in one house. Statistically significant increases in activity and minor challenging behaviour were also found when all active support houses were compared with all non-active support houses. In the non-active support houses, all measures decreased, with the exception of mean level of staff contact in one house. Unlike previous research findings, those service users who were less able did not receive comparatively more support from staff post-training and changes appeared unrelated to staff contact.
Providing end-of-life care in disability community living services: an organizational capacity-building model using a public health approach
- Authors:
- GRINDROD Andrea, RUMBOLD Bruce
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities, 30(6), 2017, pp.1125-1137.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
Background: There is broad consensus within the disability field that the end-of-life care offered to people with intellectual disabilities should be of a quality consistent with that advocated by contemporary palliative care. In practice, however, various barriers are encountered when applying palliative care strategies to the end-of-life care of people with intellectual disabilities, particularly those in disability community living services. Methods: A mixed-methods approach was used. Quantitative data were gathered through a survey of disability support staff working in government-managed community living services in the Australian state of Victoria. These quantitative data informed the collection of qualitative data through focus groups and research interviews. A public health palliative care framework provided the basis for developing an organisational change model from the consolidated data. Results: There is a strong relationship between organisational structure and culture, and both influence end-of-life practice in community living services. Barriers to good practice arise from the differing attitudes of paid carers involved, and from uncoordinated approaches reflecting misaligned service systems in the disability and palliative care fields. Organisational reorientation is crucial to achieving sustainable change that will support healthy dying. Conclusions: End-of-life care requires the collaboration of disability and palliative care services, but for care to achieve palliative care goals, the collaboration must be led by disability services. The authors outline here an organisational model they have developed from public health principles to manage end-of-life care in community living services. (Edited publisher abstract)
Communicating about death and dying: developing training for staff working in services for people with intellectual disabilities
- Authors:
- TUFFREY-WIJNE Irene, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities, 30(6), 2017, pp.1099-1110.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
Background: Many people with intellectual disabilities are affected by death, yet conversations about death are often avoided by staff working with them. This study aimed to assess staff training needs and to develop, trial and evaluate a training course on communicating about death and dying. Method: (i) Semi-structured interviews with 20 staff in residential/supported living services to establish training needs; (ii) three-one-day courses were attended by 114 staff and evaluated through questionnaires. The course consisted of World Café sessions, presentations and feedback by people with intellectual disabilities, and an expert teaching session. Results: Staff fear, cultural influences and inexperience with death-related conversations were major communication barriers. Evaluation of the course was overwhelmingly positive. Conclusions: Intellectual disabilities services must have clear staff training strategies around death, dying and communication. More work is needed to assess the resource implications and impact on practice of different training methods and other support strategies. (Publisher abstract)
The role of support staff as people move from congregated settings to group homes and personalized arrangements in Ireland
- Authors:
- IRIARTE Edurne Garcia, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Intellectual Disabilities, 20(2), 2016, pp.152-164.
- Publisher:
- Sage
- Place of publication:
- London
The movement of people with intellectual disabilities into the community is increasingly endorsed by public policy. Whilst staff are critical to a successful transition to the community, there is only scattered research on their role in supporting people to move. In this study, 32 staff and the 16 people with intellectual disabilities they supported to move from congregated settings to group homes or personalised living arrangements in the community were interviewed on two occasions, before (time 1) and after (time 2) the move. In congregated settings, staff steered the move to community living, they helped them to settle in community group homes and supported them to increase control over their lives in personalised community arrangements, where they support became increasingly more personalised and geared towards community participation and development of social relationships. Implications for staff training are drawn. (Edited publisher abstract)
The leopard has changed its spots: experiences of different ways in which staff support people with learning disabilities
- Authors:
- DOCHERTY Daniel Alex, CHAPMAN Melanie Jane
- Journal article citation:
- Ethics and Social Welfare, 7(3), 2013, pp.277-281.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
- Place of publication:
- Abingdon
This paper contrasts the personal experiences of a man with learning disabilities and autism with staff in two different settings: a long-stay institution for people with learning disabilities, and the community living in a flat supported by staff. These experiences highlight some of the potential personal, professional and ethical conflicts facing staff working in learning disability services. (Publisher abstract)
Revolving door of service providers
- Author:
- DRINKWATER Mark
- Journal article citation:
- Community Care, 24.11.11, 2011, pp.28-29.
- Publisher:
- Reed Business Information
Competitive tendering of services to non-profit organisations and profit making companies can be very disruptive for staff and service users, especially when involving supported living services for people with learning disabilities. The difficulties people with learning disabilities can face when changing service providers and the concerns that local authorities should address are discussed.
Pain in people with learning disabilities in residential settings: the need for change
- Authors:
- BEACROFT Monica, DODD Karen
- Journal article citation:
- British Journal of Learning Disabilities, 38(3), September 2010, pp.201-209.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
Many people with learning disabilities find it difficult to communicate effectively that they are in pain or how they are feeling. This audit investigated residential staff beliefs around pain thresholds, and the strategies they adopt to recognise and manage pain in people with learning disabilities. A structured interview was held with 58 staff from 33 residential homes and supported living services across Surrey. The results demonstrated that pain is not being effectively recognised or managed by residential staff, and that people with learning disabilities are not getting timely and appropriate medication for their pain. Some staff still believed that people with learning disabilities have a higher pain threshold than people without a learning disability, and let this belief affect how they manage pain. The results highlighted the need for training for staff in how to recognise and manage pain, as well as the need for appropriate pain recognition tools and communication aids to be utilised to support people with learning disabilities to be able to communicate their pain to others. It also indicated the need for better communication between staff and other services that the person with learning disabilities accesses.
Healthy lifestyle behaviours for people with intellectual disabilities: an exploration of organizational barriers and enablers
- Authors:
- O'LEARY Lisa, TAGGART Laurence, COUSINS Wendy
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities, 31(Supplement S1), 2018, pp.122-135.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
Background: The health-related behaviours of people with intellectual disabilities may be determined by organisational influences. This innovative study aimed to explore managers’ and staffs’ perspectives on organisational influences on the promotion of healthy behaviours for this population. Method: A qualitative methodology was employed. Four focus groups with staff and eleven telephone interviews with managers were undertaken across three residential services in one region (Northern Ireland) of the UK. Transcripts were analysed thematically. Findings: The organisations involved in this study did not have the cultural ethos or capacity to sustain consistent support for staff involvement in health promotion. Organisational support and outcome-focused strategies are recommended for encouraging staff involvement in health promotion activities. Conclusion: These findings have implications for some organisations that support people with intellectual disabilities in improving the way they facilitate health promotion. They highlight the need for organisational cultures to facilitate knowledge translation and embrace evidence-based health promotion interventions. (Publisher abstract)