Adults with intellectual disability in regional Australia: Incidence of disability and provision of accommodation support to their ageing carers

Eley, Diann, Boyes, Joanne, Young, Louise and Hegney, Desley (2009) Adults with intellectual disability in regional Australia: Incidence of disability and provision of accommodation support to their ageing carers. The Australian Journal of Rural Health, 17 3: 161-166.


Author Eley, Diann
Boyes, Joanne
Young, Louise
Hegney, Desley
Title Adults with intellectual disability in regional Australia: Incidence of disability and provision of accommodation support to their ageing carers
Journal name The Australian Journal of Rural Health  (ERA 2012 Listed)    (ERA 2010 Rank B)   Check publisher's open access policy
Publication date 2009-06
Sub-type Article
DOI 10.1111/j.1440-1584.2009.01062.x
Volume number 17
Issue number 3
ISSN 1038-5282
Start page 161
End page 166
Total pages 6
Editor James Dunbar
Place of publication Carlton, Vic., Australia
Publisher Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Asia
Collection year 2010
Language eng
Subject C1
920403 Disability and Functional Capacity
920506 Rural Health
920299 Health and Support Services not elsewhere classified
111703 Care for Disabled
Formatted abstract Objective: This project aimed to identify a population of adults with intellectual disability and their carers in a defined regional area of Australia to determine their prevalence in this setting, their current accommodation situation and their future accommodation needs.
Design: Mixed method cross-sectional design employed a survey to collect data from both quantitative (Likert type) and qualitative (free response) questions.
Setting: Regional town and its contiguous shires in Queensland.
Participants: Adults (over 18 years) with an intellectual disability and their primary carers.
Main outcome measure: Identification of adults with intellectual disability and a description of their accommodation situation and perceived needs.
Results: Adults with intellectual disability (n = 156) were male (60%), mean age of 37.2 years (range 18–79). Carers (n = 146) were female (78%), mean age of 61.5 years (range 40–91). The majority of adults with intellectual disability (56%) are cared for at home (mean age = 35 years). Mean age of those who live away from home was 39.8 years. The levels of support
required by those living at home and those living away from home were not different, nor were the age ranges of their carers.
Conclusions: Findings show that the majority of primary carers are over the age of 50 years and continue to provide medium–high levels of support within the family home. The advancing age of both carers and the people they support, combined with the location of that support, is a major issue in the provision of adequate services for this population.
Keyword Accommodation need
Adult with intellectual disability
Ageing carer
regional Australia
References National Centre for Social and Economic Modelling (NATSEM). Who’s going to care? Informal care and an ageing population. 2004. [Cited 28 Aug 2008]. Available from URL: http://www.natsem.canberra.edu.au/publications/ papers/otherpubs/informal_care/care_report.pdf 2. Australian Institute of Health andWelfare. Rural, regional and remote health: indicators of health status and determinants of health. 2008. [Cited 28 Aug 2008]. Available from URL: http://www.aihw.gov.au/publications/index. cfm/title/10519 3. Bigby C. Ageing with a lifelong disability: a guide to practice, program and policy issues for human services professionals. 2004. [Cited 28 Aug 2008]. Available from URL: http://site.ebrary.com/lib/unisouthernqld/Doc? id=10068568 4. Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. Current and future demand for specialist disability services. 2007. [Cited 28 Aug 2008]. Available from URL: http://www. aihw.gov.au/publications/index.cfm/title/10450 5. Eley D, Hegney D, Boyes J. An Analysis of the Accommodation Needs of Adults with an Intellectual Disability in Toowoomba and Surrounding Areas. ISBN: 0 909756 87 2. Toowoomba: Centre for Rural and Remote Area Health, The University of Southern Queensland, 2006. 6. Australian Bureau of Statistics. Disability, ageing and carers, Australia: summary of findings. 2003. [Cited 28 Aug 2008]. Available from URL: http://www.abs.gov. au/Ausstats/abs@.nsf/Lookup/C258C88A7AA5A87ECA 2568A9001393E8 7. Stancliffe R. Provision of residential services for people with intellectual disability in Australia: an international comparison. Journal of Intellectual & Developmental Disability 2002; 27: 117–124. 8. Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. The definition and prevalence of intellectual disability in Australia. 2003. [Cited 28 Aug 2008]. Available from URL: http://www.aihw.gov.au/publications/welfare/dpida/dpida-c00.html 9. Prouty RW, Smith G, Lakin KC, eds. Residential Services for Persons with Developmental Disabilities: Status and Trends through 2003. Minneapolis, MN: Institute on Community Integration, Research and Training Center on Community Living, University of Minnesota, 2004. 10. Stancliffe R, Lakin KC, Prouty RW. Growth in residential services in Australia and the United States: 1997–2002. Journal of Intellectual & Developmental Disability 2005; 30: 181–184.
Q-Index Code C1
Q-Index Status Confirmed Code

 
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Created: Mon, 25 May 2009, 09:18:14 EST by Vicki Percival on behalf of Rural Clinical School - South West Qld Region