Suchergebnisse

Find out how housing options for the elderly are changing-and not always for the betterTo maintain or improve their quality of life, many seniors in the United States will move to new locations and into new types of housing. Housing for the Elderly addresses the key aspects of the transitions they'll face, examines how housing programs can help, and looks at the role social workers can play to ensure they remain healthy, happy, and productive as they age. Housing for the Elderly provides the tools to build a comprehensive understanding of how housing is changing to support the growing number o

BackgroundMonitoring population trends including mortality within subgroups such as people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and between countries provides crucial information about the population's health and insights into underlying health concerns and the need for and effectiveness of public health efforts.MethodsData from both US state intellectual and developmental disabilities service system administrative data sets and de‐identified state Medicaid claims were used to calculate average age at death and crude mortality rates.ResultsAverage age at death for people in state intellectual and developmental disabilities systems was 50.4–58.7 years and 61.2–63.0 years in Medicaid data, with a crude adult mortality rate of 15.2 per thousand.ConclusionsAge at death remains lower and mortality rates higher for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Improved case finding (e.g. medical claims) could provide more complete mortality patterns for the population with intellectual and developmental disabilities to inform the range of access and receipt of supportive and health‐related interventions and preventive care.

AbstractTo address the need for more employment opportunities for individuals with intellectual disabilities (ID), many vocational rehabilitation agencies have established social ventures called affirmative businesses. Unlike most traditional vocational rehabilitation programs, affirmative businesses compete directly with for‐profit businesses producing similar goods or services. Given that nonprofit agencies operating these businesses are supported by taxpayer dollars and private donations, there is increased scrutiny and expectations for legal and ethical behavior and practices. An earlier study of 15 affirmative businesses identified themes and management strategies that contributed to business viability or failure. A reexamination of the findings through the lens of corporate citizenship theory (being economically responsible, abiding by the law, engaging in ethical and moral management, and ensuring the philanthropy of businesses) found that affirmative businesses adhering to the theory's components succeeded, while those that did not failed. The two case studies presented here demonstrate that knowledge transfer of the theory's components from the for‐profit business sector to the nonprofit sector is possible and suggest this innovative business approach as a framework to attain sustainable viability within affirmative businesses. The viability of these ventures is especially important for those who live in areas where few competitive employment jobs are available or for those with the most severe ID who require higher levels of job support and job stability. Through an in‐depth examination of the theory's components, we suggest options for improving the likelihood that affirmative businesses will achieve viability and provide community‐based employment for individuals with ID.

Abstract  The authors sought to modify and apply Pearlin et al.'s "Stress and Coping Framework" model (which was designed to guide research on family caregiving) to research that could help them understand the experiences of staff carers of persons with intellectual disabilities affected by dementia. The authors, two experienced researchers and practitioners in intellectual disabilities and dementia, reviewed the existing literature on the "Stress and Coping Framework" model, as well as additional literature on family and staff caregiving for persons with dementia and intellectual disabilities, in an attempt to identify the model's key variables and to determine whether these variables could be applied to research with staff. They determined that the domains of the "Stress and Coping Framework" model appeared relevant for staff carer research; but proposed changes in some of the variables defining those domains (e.g., some of the original demographic variables were dropped as less important for staff carers and some organizational variables are added). The authors concluded that with modification, Pearlin et al.'s model of stress and coping is a useful guide to support research on the experiences of staff carers of persons with intellectual disabilities affected by dementia. To this end, they have proposed a modified "Stress and Coping Framework" structure that can be applied to research in the area of staff burden.

Abstract  This article reports upon the usefulness of a focus group strategy to develop a consensus on key health and aging research recommendations for persons with intellectual disabilities (ID). This strategy was employed at an opportunistic situation, a consensus meeting (the Tampa Scientific Conference on Intellectual Disability, Aging and Health) which involved 75 diverse background participants from the United States and other countries who came together to evolve recommendations for aging health policy. The meeting's participants included basic and applied researchers with a range of professional interests (physicians, psychologists, sociologists, social workers, and nurses), public policy workers and administrators, and family members and persons with ID. A working group process, a focus group strategy, was used successfully to develop recommendations in the areas of medical and epidemiological issues, syndrome‐specific concerns, and the promotion of healthy aging. The approach used was found to be particularly helpful in reconciling diverse researcher and consumer perspectives, considering both basic and applied research issues, and yielding both national‐specific and internationally relevant recommendations.

Social work interventions with persons with developmental disabilities and their families often take a pathological approach by labeling children and parents. Although families with a child or young adult with a develop' mental disability experience, many stresses, they also experience joys and bring their own strengths and skills to the caregiving situation. The authors review the stresses of caregiving and the strengths of families and present a case study that highlights a model for social work services that addresses these issues.

Social work professionals must demonstrate their effectiveness to legislators and governments, not to mention clients and incoming practitioners. A thorough evaluation of the activities, ethics, and outcomes of social work practice is critical to maintaining the public's investment and interest in the profession and to ensuring that underserved populations are well served. Incorporating the concerns of a new century into a consideration of models for practice research, this volume largely builds on the visionary work of William J. Reid (1928-2003) who transformed social work research through empirically-based and task-centered approaches-and, more recently, synthesized current intervention knowledge for framing future study. This collection reviews Reid's task-centered model and other contemporary Evidence-Based Practice models (EBPs) for working with individuals, families, groups, communities, and organizations. Essays demonstrate the value of these pragmatic approaches as applied in U.S. and international settings. Contributors also summarize state-of-the-art methods in several key fields of service, including children and families, aging, substance abuse, and mental health. They evaluate the research movement itself, outlining an agenda for today's sociopolitical landscape and for the profession. This volume will inspire practice research to further the use of evidence as a base for the profession.

This article provides a review of the empirical literature on social work practice with the family caregivers of frail older adults, focusing on the evidence in support of a variety of short- and long-term interventions. Practical applications for direct practice are described, along with suggestions for future research in this area.

AbstractBackgroundFriendship is important to quality of life, yet people with intellectual disability have more restricted social networks and fewer friends outside family and support staff.MethodData from a nationally representative longitudinal study of older adults with intellectual disability (aged >40) examined rates and types of friends. Factors associated with having a best friend and friendship quality were explored.ResultsA large majority (92.4%) had friends but just over half (52%) had a best friend. Co‐resident friends (71.8%) were more common than non‐resident friends (62%), while staff friendships (62.5%) were important. The majority of best friends were peers with intellectual disability (63.2%), carer/service providers (15.9%) or family (8.4%). Challenging behaviour and communication difficulty were associated with reduced likelihood of having a best friend. A best friend with intellectual disability was associated with lower friendship quality scores.ConclusionLimited choice and social opportunity may result in a precarious form of friendship for older people with intellectual disability that undermines their quality of life.

AbstractBackgroundAdults with an intellectual disability (ID) have much lower rates of employment than their counterparts without intellectual disability, which increases their risk of poverty and social exclusion. Differential treatment of people with intellectual disability in welfare and training policies suggests an expectation they will be passive welfare recipients rather than productive employees.MethodsThis paper aims to examine occupational activities by older people with intellectual disability in Ireland, exploring factors influencing outcomes using data from the IDS‐TILDA study (n = 708).ResultsMost people were unemployed but engaged in regular occupational activity. Occupational activity was associated with better emotional/mental health. Activities of Daily Living (ADL) functioning was associated with an active occupational status, while social supports most strongly predicted high occupational engagement across a range of activities.ConclusionsA focus on the individual meaning derived from a broad range of engagement may better support people with intellectual disabilities to benefit from regular occupational activity.

BackgroundChanging family sociodemographic factors, increased life expectancy for people with an intellectual disability, deinstitutionalization and policy prioritization of the family as the principal care provider, presents new challenges to care sustainability.MethodA qualitative study design was employed, entailing focus groups and semistructured interviews, with purposive sampling via the parent study population of the Intellectual Disability Supplement to The Irish Longitudinal Database on Ageing.ResultsThe traditional sociodemographic facilitators of family caregiving are in rapid decline. Families perceived limited support from services and limited future care options. Few future care plans have been formulated. A strong possibility exists of placement of older family members with an intellectual disability in out‐of‐family home care.ConclusionTo anticipate and provide for quality care supports, there is a need to establish proactive initiatives, for both people with an intellectual disability and their families', to facilitate the early formation of long‐term care plans.

BackgroundPeople with intellectual disability tend to have smaller social networks than other groups, with even those living in community‐based residences comparatively worse off.Materials and methodsAnalysis of data from the Intellectual Disability Supplement to The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (IDS‐TILDA) (n = 701) examined measures of interpersonal relationships and interactions. Predictors of family contact and having non‐resident friends were also explored.ResultsSocial networks of older people with intellectual disability differ considerably from the general older population, with a reliance on support staff and co‐resident friends in place of their own immediate family structures and wider friendships. Proximity to family most strongly predicted family contact. Residence in independent or family residences was most strongly linked to having non‐resident friends.ConclusionsWhile family proximity and community living are associated with improved social networks and contacts, older people with intellectual disability remain worse off than the general older population.

AbstractPeople with an intellectual disability (ID) are more likely to experience mental health difficulties than others. The United Nations (UN) Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) states that health services should be provided close to people's own communities. This article examines differences in access to psychiatry services for those with an ID according to geography, in the context of a small European country (Republic of Ireland). The sample consisted of 753 individuals aged 40 and over with ID in the Republic of Ireland, with data collected from the Intellectual Disability Supplement of the Irish Longitudinal Study on Aging (IDS‐TILDA). The primary outcome of interest was attendance with any psychiatrist and the primary independent variables were area of residence (health service region and degree of county urbanicity). Logistic regression was used to analyze associations, unadjusted and then controlling for age group, gender and level of ID. Secondary analysis examined factors associated with anti‐psychotic prescription without psychiatrist supervision. Treatment by a psychiatrist was associated with both health region (p = 0.029) and degree of urbanicity (p = 0.015) before controlling for group differences but only the health region was significantly associated after controlling for age, gender and level of ID. Antipsychotic use without a psychiatrist was associated with degree of urbanicity (p = 0.036) but not with health service region (p = 0.989). Geographic factors are associated with access to mental health services among those with ID in the Republic of Ireland. This may be partly due to movement of people with ID away from their area of origin, highlighting the need for locally tailored specialist ID mental health teams and for further research into barriers to treatment. Additional work in other countries will further understanding of similar roles of geographic factors in mediating mental health services access.