Search results for ‘Subject term:"learning disabilities"’ Sort:
Results 1 - 10 of 11
Quality of life: a survey of parents of children/adults with an intellectual disability who are availing of respite care
- Authors:
- CAPLES Maria, SWEENEY John
- Journal article citation:
- British Journal of Learning Disabilities, 39(1), March 2011, pp.64-72.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
Some two-thirds of the people registered on the Irish National Intellectual Disability Database live at home, with family members providing support. Use of respite care services by parents with a child/adult with an intellectual disability (ID) is growing in the context of social policy initiatives for greater social inclusion of people with disabilities. Parents often require assistance in this caring role, needing to be supported with reliable, flexible and responsive services. Parents often have to negotiate complex barriers to access support services such as respite, health or social care. This article draws on a recent Irish study that investigated the quality of life of 49 parents of people with an intellectual disability and who are using respite care. In general, results indicated that parents were experiencing good to excellent quality of life. However, demand exceeded supply, with many parents facing a lengthy wait gaining access to respite care. However, more research needs to be undertaken out to establish what services are deemed most valuable to parents.
‘It terrifies me, the thought of the future’: listening to the current concerns of informal carers of people with a learning disability
- Authors:
- MANSELL Ian, WILSON Christine
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Intellectual Disabilities, 14(1), March 2010, pp.21-31.
- Publisher:
- Sage
- Place of publication:
- London
Carers of someone with a learning disability have additional responsibilities as the person they care for is often dependent on them for their overall health and well-being. The findings from a study that asked carers for their views on a wide range of topics are reported. A mixed method design yielded both quantitative and qualitative data. A total of 647 members of a parent/carer federation were sent a questionnaire with a section on ‘current concerns’. The response rate was 23 percent (151 participants). Two focus groups were held with 15 carers who had completed the questionnaire. Findings revealed such issues of concern to carers that included: access to health and social care information and services; quality and quantity of respite care; suitable educational provision; independence and quality of life (for a person with learning disability); and what would happen to the person with learning disability when the carer was no longer able to carry out their caring role.
Inequalities in respite service provision: insights from a national, longitudinal study of people with intellectual disabilities
- Authors:
- McCONKEY Roy, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities, 23(1), January 2010, pp.85-94.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
Using data from a national database in Ireland of around 16,000 people with learning disabilities living with family carers, the availability of overnight respite provision was monitored over an 8-year period along with the recorded needs for such services. Despite marked rises in the number of people receiving respite breaks resulting from increased government funding, there were marked inequalities in the availability of provision across the country. In recent years the inequalities decreased but still remained. The proportion of families requiring breaks also rose and a similar pattern of inequalities were found here too. This study highlighted some of the complexities in reducing inequalities in the provision of respite services and in identifying the need for them. It would be advantageous to develop more explicit criteria regarding the need for respite provision and to record the family's preferences for the form this provision might take. These adjustments would add to the value of any national database as a service planning tool.
A guide to short breaks: supporting family carers and people with learning disabilities to have short breaks that work for them
- Authors:
- FITZPATRICK Julia, WOOD Alicia
- Publisher:
- Paradigm
- Publication year:
- 2007
- Pagination:
- 30p.
- Place of publication:
- Birkenhead
This is a guide written by Paradigm on behalf of the Valuing People Support Team, aimed at family carers and people with learning disabilities. There are sections on: the importance of breaks; what is a short break?; short breaks - a recipe for success; the short breaks menu; essential ingredients; and sharing information and best practice.
Families at breaking point
- Author:
- -
- Journal article citation:
- Viewpoint, 2006, pp.18-21.
- Publisher:
- Mencap/Gateway
In 2003, Mencap launched Breaking Point, a campaign for improvements in short break services for families caring for children and adults with severe and profound learning disabilities. A new follow up survey of 353 families in six local authority areas has found that short break services are still in short supply.
Short breaks support is failing family carers: reviewing progress 10 years on from Mencap's first Breaking Point report
- Author:
- MENCAP
- Publisher:
- Mencap
- Publication year:
- 2013
- Pagination:
- 49
- Place of publication:
- London
Updates the findings of an earlier Mencap report to investigate whether recent policy initiatives have improved the availability and provision of short breaks provision for people caring for family members learning disabilities. It also examines the extent to which cuts to central and local budgets have impacted on services. A total of 264 family carers responded to a survey on short breaks provision and caring. Freedom of Information requests were also sent to 152 local authorities in England that provide social services. The survey found that 8 out of 10 family carers have reached breaking point due to the lack of short breaks. Families also felt that services they were not having regular assessments and that services were not meeting their needs. The lack of access to short breaks has also a serious impact on family carers, such as stress or having to give up work. The report includes quotes from family carers who responded to the survey. Recommendations are also made for local authorities, central government and service providers. (Original abstract)
Disabled children's access to childcare (DCATCH) pilot activity: information for local authorities
- Author:
- GREAT BRITAIN. Department for Children, Schools and Families
- Publisher:
- Great Britain. Department for Children, Schools and Families
- Publication year:
- 2009
- Pagination:
- 35p.
- Place of publication:
- London
This report provides early information about DCATCH pilot activity. DCATCH is investigating ways of achieving better access to childcare for disabled children and young people in 10 pilot areas of England. It was made possible by funding of £35 million from the Aiming High for Disabled Children (AHDC) program. Work began in September 2008 and is likely to run to 2011. Different activities are in place in the different pilot areas, but all aim to identify and address gaps in local provision in partnership with families and to explore ways to increase the quality and range of childcare available. Improvement of data collection is important and DCATCH is piloting the Benchmarking and Planning tool to establish baseline measure for quantitative and qualitative data relating to childcare arrangements for the families of disabled children and to track service improvements over time. Other DCATCH activities include consulting with families to identify gaps in childcare services and to establish local priority actions, improving information provided to families and supporting families to make choices. DCATCH is also investigating affordability and cost of childcare, workforce development of childcare providers, and increasing capacity, inclusion and improving quality of childcare.
'Jumping through hoops': parents' experiences with seeking respite care for children with special needs
- Authors:
- DOIG J. L., McLENNAN J. D., URICHUK L.
- Journal article citation:
- Child: Care, Health and Development, 35(2), March 2009, pp.234-242.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
Respite care may act as a means to reduce stress and fatigue in people caring for a dependent who has a disability. Despite this, a variety of barriers may exist to obtaining such services. This study explored caregivers' experiences seeking respite care for their children with special needs within a province in Canada. Caregivers were recruited from two agencies providing respite care for children with foetal alcohol spectrum disorders and other mental health and developmental difficulties. In total, 10 caregivers participated in in-depth individual interviews. A constructivist grounded theory approach was employed in the design and analysis of the data. Caregivers discussed their frustrations with the process of finding and obtaining respite care, a course of action described as 'jumping through hoops'. This construct was composed of subcategories emphasizing the complexity of 'navigating the system', the bidirectional process of 'meeting the requirements' and the challenges of 'getting help'. The collective experiences of these caregivers point to the need for more flexibility and co-ordination of respite care services for children with special needs.
'It's the system working for the system': carers' experiences of learning disability services in Ireland
- Author:
- POWER Andrew
- Journal article citation:
- Health and Social Care in the Community, 17(1), February 2009, pp.92-98.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
The aim of this article is to examine the experiences of families with young adults with learning disabilities trying to access services. The landscape of disability services for this group is made up of day care, special vocational training and respite places. It aims to identify the extent of an implementation gap between government rhetoric and the degree to which services are characterised as being non-supportive interactions on the ground. Using Ireland as a case study, during a time when the economy is booming and government rhetoric claims unparalleled developments in allocating resources and extra respite 'places', this article identifies the main challenges faced by family carers associated with accessing appropriate services for their disabled adult child, in their attempt to achieve greater independence. This article reports the findings of a qualitative study in which individual semi structured interviews were held with family carers (n = 25) and representatives from national carer organisations (n = 6) in Ireland. These were people caring for an adult (18–30 years) with a learning disability and their experiences were also useful in cross-checking the carer organisation interviews. The findings show that there is limited flexibility, choice and availability in meeting the preferences of the service-users, and throughout the study, services were characterised as being non-supportive interactions. This is not simply symptomatic of a lack of resources. Despite improved funding, supportive attitudes and flexibility are still crucial in meeting user requirements at the level of delivery; thus highlighting that often the system works for the system, not for the user.
The impact of the Coronavirus pandemic on day services, respite care and short stay placements: Delivering Transformation Grant Programme 2021/22
- Authors:
- CHICK Phill, et al
- Publisher:
- ADSS Cymru
- Publication year:
- 2021
- Pagination:
- 57
- Place of publication:
- Abercynon
As part of the Delivering Transformation Grant (DTG) Programme, this review explores the impact of the pandemic on several vulnerable groups and considers: any learning that has been achieved by services in responding to this unprecedented challenge and to use any such learning to support services recovery; the longer-term implications of any such learning on service development; the potential to consider the lessons learned for future civil contingencies. The DTG project aimed to gather evidence of the impact of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic on a range of people who use day care, respite and overnight stay services, their families, and unpaid carers. The client groups included within the scope of the review were: older people; people with disabilities and sensory impairments; people with learning disabilities; people with autism and neurodevelopmental disorders; and children with complex needs. Key findings include: the pandemic led to severe service disruption; the pandemic had a serious negative impact on the wellbeing, physical and mental health of the people using services, their unpaid carers and the staff providing services; the consequences of the pandemic combined with the impact of a lack of social support from family, friends and other social support networks, together with a lack of IT literacy and equipment have widened pre-existing inequalities among some people who use day and respite services; services were forced to reconfigure in response to the pandemic, adapting and innovating to continue to offer support despite restrictions; innovative practice and the use of technology served to somewhat mitigate the impact of the pandemic for some client groups; services have, and continue to, face challenges in reopening and recovering service provision to pre-pandemic levels. (Edited publisher abstract)