Background: Increased provision of out-of-family residential support is required because of demographic changes within the intellectual disabilities population. Residential support now has to be provided in a climate requiring both financial constraint and high quality service outcomes. The aim was to evaluate the quality of life consequences of…

Background: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the quality of life consequences arising from the resettlement of adults with challenging behaviour severe enough to be deemed to require continuing healthcare from a traditional learning disability hospital to new purpose-built bungalows. The new accommodation was provided by a specialist NHS…

Background: The quality of life of adults with intellectual disabilities living in the family home is an under-researched area. The current study compared indicators of household and community activity between adults living in family homes and those in out-of-family placements. Methods: Four datasets were merged to produce information on the…

The evidence base on outcomes associated with autism in older adulthood is limited. The expected increase in the prevalence of older adults with autism highlights the need to describe their profiles and service needs. Adults 50 years or older with an intellectual disability (ID) and the triad of impairments characteristic of autism spectrum…

In a matched-groups design, costs and quality of life outcomes for adults with intellectual disabilities with relatively low support needs were compared between those in fully staffed group homes (n = 35) and in semi-independent living (n = 35). Data were collected on participant characteristics, setting organization, various lifestyle outcomes,…

There is evidence of considerable variability in the quality of residential services and a tendency for residents' quality of life to co-vary with ability level. Quality of life of 154 people living in 47 small community residences was assessed using 14 subjective and objective indicators. Information on setting structure, processes, and staff…

Structured interviews with 154 adults with mental retardation showed two-thirds were either unable to respond or exhibited response bias. There was a significant difference in scores on the Adaptive Behavior Scale between those who exhibited response bias and those who did not. The substitution of a proxy respondent is discussed. (Contains…

There are relatively few examples of emancipatory research in which people with an intellectual disability become co-workers in the research process. The current study examined the feasibility of training someone with an intellectual disability to conduct quality of life interviews with peers. The extent to which response bias in a sample of 21…

This article reviews the literature on quality of life for people with mental retardation and proposes a model of quality of life that integrates objective and subjective indicators, a broad range of life domains, and individual values. The model includes five dimensions: physical well-being, material well-being, social well-being, emotional…

A longitudinal matched-groups design was used to examine the quality and costs of community-based residential supports to people with mental retardation and challenging behavior. Two forms of provision were investigated: noncongregate settings, where the minority of residents had challenging behavior, and congregate settings, where the majority…

A number of issues involving the concept of quality of life as applied to persons with intellectual disabilities are summarized and a number of agreed-upon principles regarding its conceptualization, measurement, and application are presented. Public policy and disability reform are addressed as they relate to the quality of life concept.…