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How personalised technology can play an important role in supporting people with learning disabilities as they age and face the onset of dementia
- Author:
- NICHOLS M
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Assistive Technologies, 5(3), 2011, pp.158-163.
- Publisher:
- Emerald
HfT is a national learning disability charity. This article reports on its work at Old Quarries, a mix of residential and supported living accommodation in Gloucestershire for people with learning disabilities. The article presents case studies featuring individuals with the onset of dementia who were able to use personalised technology to empower them to live more independently and to remain in their homes rather than being moved into alternative, unfamiliar accommodation. The personalised technology described includes a bedroom door sensor alerting staff when a door is opened, a talking photo album, a fingerprint lock for a front door, and a radio frequency identification device worn by individuals which alerts staff when the wearer is about to move from a lower to a high risk area.
Emergent voices. Exploring the lived experience of seniors with intellectual disability
- Authors:
- HUTCHINSON Gunn Strand, SANDVIN Johans Tveit
- Journal article citation:
- European Journal of Social Work, 22(5), 2019, pp.738-748.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
In Norway, as in many European countries, there has been a major change in living conditions for people with intellectual disability over the last 30 years. State policy has changed, involving the reduction of institutional care with the aim of normalising people’s life situations and service provision. A challenge in the early years of reform was a lack of first-hand experiences. Researchers attempting to interview people with intellectual disabilities themselves about moving out of institutions concluded that this was methodologically problematic, as informants tended to answer what they thought was expected of them. While this may also reflect features of the research at that time, many of those with first-hand experiences of the reform have later confirmed that they had but a weak voice of their own. Today, their voices are stronger, and many of them provide important testimonies of the ‘true consequences’ of the reform. This article reveals some of these testimonies. Through in-depth interviews, six people with intellectual disabilities tell about their institutional lives and their present lives in the community. The strongest testimony to the reform is perhaps our informants’ ability to give words to, and reflect on, what was previously just a silent pain. (Edited publisher abstract)
Training of residential social care staff to meet the needs of older people with intellectual disabilities who develop age-related health problems: an exploratory study
- Authors:
- NORTHWAY Ruth, JENKINS Robert, HOLLAND-HART Daniella
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities, 30(5), 2017, pp.911-921.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
Background: Despite awareness of the age related health needs of people with intellectual disabilities little is known regarding how residential social care staff are prepared to meet such needs. Methods: Data were gathered via semi-structured interviews from 14 managers of supported living settings. Transcripts were thematically analysed. Findings: Staff may work in supported living settings with no prior experience of care work, and previous knowledge/experience of supporting people in relation to their health is not required. Whilst health related training is provided there is a lack of specific training regarding healthy ageing, and training seems to be reactive to changing needs of tenants meaning that proactive monitoring for changes in health status may not occur. Conclusions: Whilst some training is provided for residential social care staff in relation to health and ageing a more proactive approach is required which should include a focus on healthy ageing. (Edited publisher abstract)
Housing with care and support: a snapshot of the sector and its challenges and opportunities
- Author:
- SKILLS FOR CARE
- Publisher:
- Skills for Care
- Publication year:
- 2017
- Pagination:
- 36
- Place of publication:
- Leeds
Using five in-depth case studies of housing with care and support providers, this paper explores the strategic and operational issues they face, the influence these have on their workforce and what they saw as the future challenges ahead. The five case studies focused on extra care housing for older people and supported living for people with learning disabilities. The services were set up using different delivery models, some splitting the landlord function from the housing support function and some separating the housing from the care function, with some keeping all three together. Issues discussed include: the structure of the service and its effect on learning and development, workforce planning; recruitment and retention; progression and career development; and partnership, integration and changing expectations of commissioners and their influence on the workforce. Common themes identified across the sites included: challenges in recruitment and retention; lone working as a factor in poor staff retention; and an increasing number of people with high levels of need living in extra care housing, placing the model at risk. Common gaps in learning included mental health, substance dependence, anti-social behaviour, challenging behaviour and preventing loneliness. (Edited publisher abstract)
Meeting the health needs of older people with intellectual disabilities: exploring the experiences of residential social care staff
- Authors:
- NORTHWAY Ruth, HOLLAND-HART Daniella, JENKINS Robert
- Journal article citation:
- Health and Social Care in the Community, 25(3), 2017, pp.923-931.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
Older people with intellectual disabilities often experience high levels of health needs and multiple morbidities but they may be supported by residential care staff with little or no previous experience of identifying and meeting health needs. Little is known regarding how they undertake this health-related role and this exploratory study seeks to address this gap. A purposive sample of 14 managers of supported living accommodation in Wales were interviewed in 2014 to determine their experiences of supporting tenants in relation to age-related health needs. The semi-structured interviews were transcribed and thematically analysed. Three of the emerging themes are reported in this paper: meeting health needs, the consequences of ageing and relationships. Findings indicate that residential care staff support older people with intellectual disabilities with complex and multiple health needs: they monitor health status, support access to healthcare, provide additional support arising from changing health needs and advocate for tenants in the context of healthcare. However, their role is often not understood by healthcare professionals. The importance of staff having a long-term relationship with those they support was identified as being important to identifying any health-related changes. The need to develop effective relationships with healthcare staff was also noted. It is concluded that there is a need for better understanding among health staff of the role of residential social care workers and for further research regarding health-related communication. (Publisher abstract)
Housing choices discussion paper 1: what is the evidence for the cost or cost-effectiveness of housing and support options for people with care or support needs?
- Authors:
- HARFLETT Naomi, et al
- Publisher:
- National Development Team for Inclusion
- Publication year:
- 2017
- Pagination:
- 12
- Place of publication:
- Bath
A brief summary of evidence on the costs and cost-effectiveness of residential care and other housing and support options for older people, people with learning disabilities and people with mental health problems. It draws on a review of peer reviewed and grey literature in the UK and Ireland from 2000 onwards. The paper highlights limitations in the available evidence, which include limitations in terms of quantity; quality; lack of reliability of unit costs used in the research, and difficulties of making comparisons across studies. It then provides a broad summary of the evidence that is available. The paper finds that limitations in quality and quantity mean that there is not sufficient, reliable evidence in which to inform housing and support decisions on the basis of cost. It concludes that there is therefore a strong argument that decisions about an individual’s housing and support should be based on other factors supported in current health and social care policy such as rights, inclusion, choice and control. (Edited publisher abstract)
Supporting people with intellectual disabilities who challenge or who are ageing: a rapid review of evidence
- Authors:
- SLEVIN Eamonn, et al
- Publisher:
- University of Ulster
- Publication year:
- 2011
- Pagination:
- 204p., bibliog.
- Place of publication:
- Belfast
Based on a conservative estimate, 2228 people with an intellectual disability (ID) in Northern Ireland, 958 children and 1270 adults, are likely to have behaviours that challenge others. These people require significant input from services to maintain them in their own home. This report provides a review of literature in order to inform practice with 2 groups of people with IDs. The aim is to identify the supports that are required for these client populations to enable them to live in their own homes as far as is possible and to live dignified meaningful lives. Firstly, the review considers the evidence in relation to people with an ID who challenge and may have comorbid mental health problems. For this group the review considers: supporting living; day opportunities; family support; and other interventions or services that have an evidence-base applicable across settings. Secondly, the review looks at the evidence in relation to people with ID who are reaching old age and in many cases are being cared for by older caregiving family members. This is a new area of research, since more people with ID are now living into old age. For this group the review focuses on: health; aging in place; succession planning; formal service provision; and use of mainstream services. Recommendations are made in relation to practice, education and future research focused on clients, family caregivers and formal service providers.
Supported living - the legal and regulatory issues
- Author:
- GROSE Peter
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Care Services Management, 1(1), September 2006, pp.86-95.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
This review discusses the legal aspects of supported and assisted living and the regulation and deregulation of care homes in conjunction with the Care Standards Act 2000, Department of Health Guidance published in August 2002, the 'Alternative Futures' case heard by the Care Standards Tribunal in 2003 and by the Court of Appeal in 2005. In the meantime, the Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI) have issued interim guidance but further guidance is awaited from the Department of Health. The author highlights the fact that the Joint CSCI/Healthcare Commission report published in July 2006 revealing abuse in 'supported living' houses in Cornwall which should have been registered as care homes brings into focus the need to assess whether supported living housing throughout England should be registered as care homes if personal care is provided together with accommodation.
Find Me Good Care
- Publisher:
- Social Care Institute for Excellence
- Publication year:
- 2012
- Place of publication:
- London
Find Me Good Care is a website to help people to make choices about care and support for themselves or other adults in England. This includes care and support at home and in a residential setting. The site combines advice and information about choosing care with a comparable database of services. It also allows you to create your own Good Care Planner online so that you can save all the information that you find most useful in one place. The site has three main sections: a care planner to help plan care and support for yourself or someone else; a search facility to allow you to search for care and support services across England; information on paying for care and care costs. The site is developed and managed by the Social Care Institute for Excellence.