Perspectives about support challenges facing health workers assisting older adults with and without intellectual disability in rural versus urban settings in Australia

Title
Perspectives about support challenges facing health workers assisting older adults with and without intellectual disability in rural versus urban settings in Australia
Publication Date
2019
Author(s)
Hussain, Rafat
( author )
OrcID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1295-4277
Email: rhussain@une.edu.au
UNE Id une-id:rhussain
Janicki, Matthew P
( author )
OrcID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1053-1748
Email: mjanicki@une.edu.au
UNE Id une-id:mjanicki
Knox, Marie
Wark, Stuart
( author )
OrcID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5366-1860
Email: stuart.wark@une.edu.au
UNE Id une-id:swark5
Parmenter, Trevor
Type of document
Journal Article
Language
en
Entity Type
Publication
Publisher
Routledge
Place of publication
United Kingdom
DOI
10.3109/13668250.2017.1326589
UNE publication id
une:-chute-20170707-085358
une:-chute-20170707-085358
Abstract
Aims: Life expectancy for both sexes in Australia exceeds 80 years, with individuals with intellectual disability also increasingly living into older age. This research aimed to comparatively examine perceptions of staff supporting either older adults or age peers with lifelong intellectual disability. Methods: This project asked 420 medical, health, and support workers about training adequacy, health services access, and trigger points for premature institutionalisation. This paper is based on a subsample of 196 respondents who provided quantitative and qualitative responses. Results: There was considerable variation in confidence in supporting ageing individuals, while only 23.7% of doctors reported their training was adequate to support adults ageing with intellectual disability. A lack of services and poor carer health were identified as triggers for premature institutionalisation. Conclusions: The study revealed key differences in staff perceptions of support provision and training adequacy when comparing ageing individuals with intellectual disability to the general ageing population.
Link
Citation
Journal of Intellectual and Developmental Disability, 44(2), p. 174-183
ISSN
1469-9532
1366-8250
Start page
174
End page
183

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