This review of literature set out to explore the issues relating to families relinquishing the support of their family member with learning disabilities, often at a point of crisis. The review looked at situations where the family member is placed by disability services in respite care until suitable permanent accommodation can be organised or indeed, [read the full story…]
The early 1990s saw the publication of the original Mansell report into services for people with challenging behaviour. This report highlighted the issue of the use of out of area placements to meet the needs of people with learning disabilities and suggested that the continued reliance on such placements would stunt the growth of local [read the full story…]
There is a growing literature on the interaction of issues that impact on outcomes for people with learning disabilities who live in supported housing or other residential services. Issues relating to the organisation of supports can play a key role in influencing outcomes. This review of the literature set out to look at these issues [read the full story…]
People with learning disabilities and complex needs can often find themselves in services far from their family homes, particularly the case if the person has a mental health problem. This study set out to find out the views of family members of those people who were being cared for in out-of-area psychiatric hospitals. The authors [read the full story…]
Many people with learning disabilities live in the family home, but few studies have focused on the issue of quality of life of such individuals. The researchers in this study set out to look at household and community activity for people living in the family home and compare this with those in out-of-family placements. The [read the full story…]
Researchers in this Australian study were concerned to consider the issue of planning for future care and support of people with learning disabilities after the death of parental caregivers. They were considered the need to adapt support systems to ensure the best possible quality of life for people with intellectual disability as they grow older. [read the full story…]
Maximising choice and control are key elements of policy in relation to supporting people with learning disabilities, but it is recognised that the choice of where to live and with whom is often denied to people, especially with severe or profound learning disabilities. The researchers in this USA study set out to understand the current [read the full story…]
This longitudinal study followed a cohort of nearly 11,000 people with learning disabilities over a period of 8 years. The researchers were looking at issues relating to those people who had moved from family care and those who had remained. The majority of those followed , 85%, continued to live with their families. For 67%, [read the full story…]
The nature of the interaction between support staff and people with learning disabilities in supported housing is a key factor in quality of life. This study looked at the impact of a video-based contact programme on support staff’s interactions with clients. Seventy-two support staff who supported 12 individuals with visual and learning disabilities took part [read the full story…]
This Canadian paper looked at the situation of people with learning disabilities in Montreal who were homeless, to try to understand the nature of their situation, The paper draws on data from people who were known to a dedicated team in the city working with homeless people. The researchers collected data from files of 68 [read the full story…]
