Older people with intellectual disabilities – the consequences of discrepancies between disparate legislation, varying organisational structures of local authorities and diverse forms of care

Research problem and specific questions Older adults with intellectual disabilities (ID) are a new category of older people, as they are now living longer thanks to better living conditions.

They often remain in disability services with insufficient knowledge of age-related illnesses, or end up in eldercare services with limited knowledge of intellectual disabilities.This project examines the discrepancies between eldercare and disability care: the consequences of different laws based on different ideologies, the lack of professional knowledge and the lack of cooperation between actors within eldercare services and disability care services.The aim is to analyse how older people with ID gain access to their rights both to a ´life as others´, characterised by participation and self-determination, and to appropriate medical and social care for age-related problems.How does municipal organisation affect older people with ID?What measures are taken to overcome clashes between support due to ID and support due to ageing, both in terms of need assessment  and housing conditions?How do older people with ID living in a group home for individuals with ID or in a residential eldercare facility experience their everyday life?Data and methodStudy 1 consists of 16 interviews with front line managers of residential facilities of disability care and eldercare and 16 interviews with care managers of need assessment employed in the disability social services and eldercare services in four different municipalities.Study 2 is based on interviews and participant observations with two categories of older people with ID, 5-8 persons.

Those who live in group homes according to the Disability Act and those living in residential facilities provided by the ´ordinary´ eldercare.The interviews and observations are analysed with reflexive thematic analysis.Societal relevance and utilisation The number of older people with ID is increasing and the municipalities need to plan for this rise.

There is a lack of knowledge and practical solutions that this project address, particularly in relation to housing contexts.Plan for project realisation The project is in collaboration with FoU Socialtjänst and four municipalities. The results are validated through analysis seminars with professionals as well as persons with ID.

The results are disseminated through conferences, popular scientific publications, presentations and peer reviewed articles.The costs consist of salaries to four researchers.