A Comparison of Activity Levels Among Adults with Intellectual Disabilities Living in Family Homes and Out-of-Family Placements

Abstract

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 household participation and social and community activities of 721 adult participants living independently (n = 30) or in family (n = 142) or staffed homes (n = 559). Data on age, gender, adaptive and challenging behaviour, and social impairment were also available. Participant characteristics and household and community activity indicators were compared across places of residence. In addition, for those living in family or staffed homes, multiple regression was used to examine the association between the activity indicators and place of residence after controlling for participant characteristics. Results People living independently had higher household participation. People living in staffed housing had higher household participation and did more community activities more frequently than people living in family homes. Place of residence was a significant factor after controlling for participant differences. Conclusions Interpretation should take account of the limited nature of the activity indicators. However, the comparison adds weight to other recent research suggesting that adults living in family homes may have fewer activity opportunities than those living in supported accommodation.