How Parents Experience the Quality of Support: A Survey in Residential Care

Abstract

AbstractAs parents and/or legal guardians are considered to be part of the care system of a person with intellectual disabilities (ID), it is of import to acquire more specific and transparent views from parents and/or legal guardians regarding quality of support. This study examined the views of parents and/or legal guardians on the quality of support provided to clients with an ID in residential care in the Netherlands, in order to improve the partnership between parents/legal guardians and facilities. A questionnaire developed in close cooperation with parents specifically for this aim was sent to 1,785 households (parents and/or legal guardians) of clients in the Netherlands. The questionnaire consists of the following five subsections: daily care, housing, day services, leisure activities, and communication. A multiple regression analysis was performed to determine which factors contributed to the satisfaction of parents and/or legal guardians. The questionnaires returned (n = 1,058) showed that respondents rated the overall quality of support at an average grade of 7.3 out of 10 (SD: 1.2). Small but mostly significant differences were found between the subsections. A significant model for the overall quality of support emerged; nevertheless, the predictor variables accounted for only 4.0% of the explained variance in the data set. Special attention should be paid to the percentage of parents and/or legal guardians who gave unsatisfactory scores (10%) and the substantial percentage (25%) of parents and/or legal guardians that rated the quality of care only marginally satisfactory (grades 6–7). The results of this questionnaire provide opportunities for optimal use of the qualities and knowledge of parents and/or legal guardians, opportunities for mutual communication between the service organization and parents and/or legal guardians, and guidance for policy regarding improvements in support.