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The impact on objective technology of life outcomes of assistive technology in residential services for people with learning disabilities
- Authors:
- PERRY Jonathan, BEYER Stephen
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Assistive Technologies, 3(1), March 2009, pp.5-14.
- Publisher:
- Emerald
The UK government is committed to preventative technologies and increasingly they are being incorporated into residential services for people with learning disabilities. This paper describes an evaluation of a sample of settings in which various assistive technology (AT) devices have been installed following the assessment of individual residents' needs. The impact of this on residents' objective quality of life was assessed using a range of quantitative measures and through some qualitative questions. Despite some positive consequences of the AT being reported by staff in response to the qualitative items, there was no significant impact on any of the quantitative measures. In isolation, AT does not appear to be sufficient to significantly improve objective quality of life outcomes for people with learning disabilities in residential services. Equally, AT does not appear to reduce objective quality of life outcomes. The challenge to service providers is to ensure that the introduction of AT and any associated change to staffing levels or support procedures translates into improvements in residents' overall quality of life. To detect such improvements future research might have to broaden the range of quantitative methods used and supplement them with qualitative techniques.
A guide to implementing assistive technology for people with learning disabilities
- Authors:
- BEYER Stephen, PERRY Jonathan, MEEK Andrea
- Publisher:
- Home Farm Trust
- Publication year:
- 2009
- Pagination:
- 50p.
- Place of publication:
- Bristol
This handbook has been produced for for organisations and families who wish to implement person centred technology. The guide expertly lays out the case for assistive technology and telecare, putting it in context - how and why it should exist alongside existing services - and provides a clear guide to implementation.
Report of the learning disabilities scoping study setting out the case for a learning disabilities and autism research network in Wales
- Authors:
- FELCE David, KERR Mike, PERRY Jonathan
- Publisher:
- Welsh Centre for Learning Disabilities
- Publication year:
- 2005
- Pagination:
- 37p.
- Place of publication:
- Cardiff
People with learning disabilities are a particularly vulnerable and disadvantaged population with substantially poorer health and well-being than the general population. Research studies internationally are consistent in showing an inverse correlation between objective indicators of physical, material, social and developmental well-being and degree of disability. People with more severe and profound disabilities experience greater inequality in health and quality of life. They experience greater and more complex morbidity and differentially high mortality. Action on such evident disparities is consistent with the Welsh Assembly Government strategic agenda for 2003 - 2007.
Annual health checks: uptake in Wales and users' views
- Authors:
- PERRY Jonathan, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Llais, 92, Summer 2009, pp.6-10.
- Publisher:
- Learning Disability Wales
All adults with learning disabilities in Wales are entitled to annual health checks. This article reports on the outcome of a series of focus groups which were conducted with people with learning disabilities to find out their views about health checks. It also contains a table showing how many people in each local health board area of Wales had a health check in 2006/7 and 2007/8.
Living under the strategy: do outcomes for users of Welsh Community Residential Services lives up to the All Wales Strategy's underlying principles?
- Authors:
- PERRY Jonathan, FELCE David
- Journal article citation:
- British Journal of Learning Disabilities, 23(3), 1995, pp.102-105.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
The results of a two-year study which assessed quality of life outcomes for residents of fourteen small-scale staffed houses in Wales are discussed in the context of the principles which underlie the All Wales Strategy for the Development of Services for Mentally Handicapped People.
Contact with primary care: the experience of people with intellectual disabilities
- Authors:
- PERRY Jonathan, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities, 27(3), 2014, pp.200-211.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
Background: People with intellectual disabilities experi-ence disparities in their health and health care. Annual health checks are intended to counter such disparity by improving access to primary health care. However, little is known about their experience of having a health check or other types of contact with primary care services. Materials and Methods: The findings of two studies which used focus groups were combined. 102 people with intellectual disabilities participated in the focus groups. Results: Participants' experiences of primary care services generally, and health checks in particular, were positive. However, unanimity was rare on any of the topics discussed and a number of areas of dissatisfaction emerged. Conclusions: Further studies with larger and more representative samples are necessary as feedback from people with intellectual disabilities about their experience of contact with primary care staff might help to enhance GP knowledge about their health requirements. (Publisher abstract)
Targeted support and telecare in staffed housing for people with intellectual disabilities: impact on staffing levels and objective lifestyle indicators
- Authors:
- PERRY Jonathan, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities, 25(1), January 2012, pp.60-70.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
The age profile of adults with learning disabilities more closely resembles that of the general population in the UK than at any time previously, and as a result increased provision of opportunities for adults with intellectual disabilities to live independently is required. The aim of this study was to evaluate the quality of life consequences of living with less intensive staff support following the introduction of more targeted support (referring to flexible staff allocation) coupled with telecare. A targeted support and telecare intervention was implemented at staggered intervals by an agency providing support for people with intellectual disabilities to live in the community. A range of equipment was installed which could monitor various aspects of the environment and provide alerts if support was needed, and a revised staffing model reducing support at particular times was introduced. Data was collected at 4 points over a two-year period, covering information about participants (collected through interviews with staff who knew them well), setting descriptors, quality of care and lifestyle indicators. The results of the analysis indicated that a combination of targeted support and assistive technology had no adverse short-term effect on participants' quality of life, but reduced staff input. The authors discuss the findings and their implications.
A comparison of activity levels among adults with intellectual disabilities living in family homes and out-of-family placements
- Authors:
- FELCE David, PERRY Jonathan, KERR Michael
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities, 24(5), September 2011, pp.421-426.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
Despite the fact that the majority of adults with intellectual disabilities live in the family home, little research has been done on their quality of life. This paper aims to compare the activities of adults with intellectual disabilities living in family homes with those in out-of-family placements. It examines 2 aspects of the quality of life: the range and frequency of social and community activities; and the extent of participation in family activity at home. The study involved secondary analysis of a dataset produced by merging data from 4 earlier studies. The merged dataset contained information on 30 adult participants living independently, 142 living in family homes, and 559 in staffed homes. Participant characteristics and household and community activity indicators were compared across places of residence. For those living in family or staffed homes, the association between the activity indicators and place of residence after controlling for participant characteristics was examined. The findings showed that the place of residence was a significant factor after controlling for participant differences. People living independently had higher household participation. People living in staffed housing had higher household participation and did more community activities more frequently than people living in family homes. The findings suggest that adults living in family homes may have fewer activity opportunities than those living in supported accommodation.
Resettlement outcomes for people with severe challenging behaviour moving from institutional to community living
- Authors:
- PERRY Jonathan, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities, 24(1), January 2011, pp.1-17.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
The study investigated the quality of life of adults with severe challenging behaviour deemed to require continuous health care. These adults were resettled from a traditional learning disability hospital to new purpose-built NHS bungalows. Data were collected for 19 individuals on a variety of quality of care and lifestyle indicators when in hospital, and then after resettlement. Findings indicated no areas of significant deterioration in quality of care or lifestyle outcome when moving to the community. The community provision was more homelike and associated with some improvement in working methods and staff contact received by participants. There was also increased family contact, greater participant involvement in household activity and constructive activity generally and reduction in staff-reported challenging behaviour. Overall, health care provision was generally equivalent or superior to previous hospital levels. However, follow-up studies may be required as developing the working culture among staff from an institutional background may take longer than the length of this study.
Strategic service change: development of core services in Wales, 1983-1995
- Authors:
- PERRY Jonathan, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities, 11(1), 1998, pp.15-33.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
National strategies for the development of services for specific client groups are rare in Britain, particularly strategies to which governments pledge significant long term financial investment. This article attempts to gauge the impact of one such strategy, the All Wales Strategy for the Development of Services for Mentally Handicapped People (AWS) by comparing the goals of the AWS with changes in the nature and coverage of services which have followed its inception. Finds that although the pace of change quickened between 1988 and 1995 compared to that in the first five years of the AWS, a wholesale orientation of traditional services is far from complete. Changes in service provision in Wales during the course of the AWS are compared where possible to development elsewhere in Britain.