Background
Social restrictions and service closures from COVID‐19 have negatively impacted social inclusion and well‐being for some people with intellectual disabilities (IDs).
Methods
The fourth wave of a national longitudinal study on ageing in people with ID in Ireland was interrupted during the COVID‐19 outbreak. Social inclusion data for pre‐existing participants interviewed before COVID‐19 (n = 444) were compared with data for pre‐existing participants interviewed during/after lockdown (n = 62).
Results
More people interviewed after lockdown reported frequent family contact. Significantly greater numbers in the post‐lockdown group reported access to and use of technology than the pre‐lockdown group. Technology use was higher among those living in grouped residences supported by services compared with individuals living independently or with family.
Conclusions
During the early stages of the COVID‐19 pandemic in Ireland, many older adults with ID stayed connected with family and reported rates of contact higher than were reported by others before COVID‐19. This connection may have been supported by a significant increase in technology use during the pandemic. However, uneven use of technology may disadvantage some including individuals living with family or independently. Given that COVID‐19 restrictions are likely to continue to restrict social opportunities, increased digital support may assist more people with ID to use technology to maintain their social connections.
While family proximity and community living are associated with improved social networks and contacts, older people with intellectual disability remain worse off than the general older population.
This paper sets out a systematic review of empirically evaluated intervention studies and structured models/ frameworks of future care planning for adults with intellectual disability by family carers. The failure to adequately plan for when they are older is one of the key barriers to successful ageing for people with an intellectual disability (McCallion & Nickle, 2008). Given that the majority of families intend to provide lifelong support at home for loved ones with intellectual disabilities and that people with intellectual disabilities themselves largely wish to remain in the family home (McConkey, McConaghie, Barr, & Roberts, 2006), it is essential that families engage in future care planning "if crisis situations are to be avoided, particularly the double shock… of losing their home at a time when they are also bereaved"(Gorfin & McGlaughlin, 2004). Furthermore, the need for general engagement in future planning is exacerbated by macro-level factors of ageing populations and post-institutionalization policy and service contexts which will likely lead to more people with intellectual disabilities ageing in a family care environment in the future. At the same time, increased life expectancy for people with intellectual disabilities
Community-dwelling people with intellectual disability have greater social contact than those living in institutions, but levels are below those for other adults in Ireland.
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