Positive outcome following move to the community |
‘She is happier since the move, more responsive and willing, now that she trusts other people.’
| OâBrien et al, 200139: 75 community staff member. |
‘It is a hugely positive, yeah, he has totally changed in his character, in his, the whole, his whole wellbeing has totally changed. He is totally content now’ | Kilroy et al, 201537: 72 people with an intellectual disability’s Key worker. |
| ‘We actually came down to have a look and I said my God this is like a palace . . . Oh I loved it, yeah.’ | Sheerin et al, 201538: 271 Tenant 6. |
A sense of ‘freedom’ and independence living in the community improved quality of life | ‘My life is better, it’s changed a lot because I have much more freedom…I can get away from others but at the hospital I couldn’t get away… Here I can go out with the staff and I behave myself.’ | OâBrien et al, 200139: 79 people with an intellectual disability. |
| ‘He couldn’t go outside unless he was accompanied. Here, although he needs to be accompanied going out the front door, there is so much space in the back—once the gates are closed he can go on his own. You could see the joy on his face the first day he walked out on his own and he realised that nobody was following him. It was superb.’ | Kilroy et al, 201537: 74 people with an intellectual disability’s Key worker. |
Increased personal space and privacy in the community improved quality of life | ‘There is more space to move around in. Life has changed.’ | OâBrien et al, 200139: 79 people with an intellectual disability. |
| ‘It’s big, my room is big . . . much more room. Yeah, my room was small . . . terrible in [institutional service setting].’ | Sheerin et al, 201538 Tenant 1. |
| ‘You have your own space, and then you have your own bedroom, and no one comes into your room without your permission.’ | Sheerin et al, 201538 Tenant 2. |
Considering compatibility between housemates critical to quality of life | ‘Once…what we used to have to do was, when he was screaming, we used to have to bring X out of the house, to another (community) house to settle him because he got so traumatised by it. He actually used to go really pale and he’d start sweating and he just wasn’t able to cope with the noise, so we used to have to leave the house without him.’ | Kilroy et al 201537: 72 people with an intellectual disability. |
| ‘I am happy with my life… I’ve got lovely friends. Why I am really happy is that nobody is picking on me or nasty to me. My life has really changed- because I am much more happier and not so stressed out…. I go out more on my own and I’m more independent.’ | OâBrien et al, 200139: 80 people with an intellectual disability. |
Perception of staff role in the community | ‘I suppose that there’s probably the same regular staff as well always here now, whereas in the centre it may have changed…so I think that has made a huge improvement too, that he knows exactly…who’s with him and the fact that the staff know him very well, and they know what he will and won’t do, so I think that’s kind of, he kind of trusts people I think.’ | Kilroy et al 201537: 73 people with an intellectual disability’s Key worker. |
| “I think that the staff up there are A1, and then that they’ll do anything for you . . . but . . . they might not come near you all night and check on you to see if you’re, you’re okay. One time I was out of work . . . sick . . . and then I saw the staff in the morning but in the afternoon no one came near me. I, I didn’t see anyone till about seven, seven or eight o’clock at night . . . but they stay upstairs in their own bedroom and then they have their own office up there.’ | Sheerin et al, 201538: 276 Tenant 2. |
Improved family contact | ‘They . . . are involved more now that I’m up [here].’ | Sheerin et al 201538: 277 Tenant 5. |
| ‘I wouldn’t have visited her too much in [institutional living setting] . . . I picked up going back up to visit her on a fairly regular basis.’ | Sheerin et al, 201538: 277 Relative of Tenant 4. |
Social integration outcomes |
‘Yeah I do more things . . . Going to the library . . . getting to know the people up here in. Sometimes I say hello to them and . . . They can be friendly yeah, but again if I say hello, certain people might say ‘hello’ and ask you ‘how are you’, you know but other people I think just ignore you.’
| Sheerin et al, 201538 276, Tenant 5. |
Ongoing challenges | ‘I’m afraid I might fall and there’s nobody there and I might get a pain in my heart.’ | Sheerin et al, 201538: 275 Tenant 6. |
| ‘it’s just that when I get lonely like when the staff go off . . . I kind of felt a bit lonely today because I was sitting . . . it can be fairly lonely here . . . you can’t blame the staff with the cut backs’ | Sheerin et al, 201538: 275 Tenant 6. |