Findings of this study show that health promotion and cancer prevention activities for people with ID may be less than optimal. The importance of staff training in order to raise knowledge and awareness is highlighted. Educating both staff and people with ID about the early signs and symptoms of cancer and the importance of a healthy lifestyle as a protective factor may help lead to more informed healthier lifestyle choices and lower cancer risk and morbidity.

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Background The health‐related behaviours of people with intellectual disabilities may be determined by organisational influences. This innovative study aimed to explore managers’ and staffs’ perspectives on organisational influences on the promotion of healthy behaviours for this population. Method A qualitative methodology was employed. Four focus groups with staff and eleven telephone interviews with managers were undertaken across three residential services in one region (Northern Ireland) of the UK. Transcripts were analysed thematically. Findings The organisations involved in this study did not have the cultural ethos or capacity to sustain consistent support for staff involvement in health promotion. Organisational support and outcome‐focused strategies are recommended for encouraging staff involvement in health promotion activities. Conclusion These findings have implications for some organisations that support people with intellectual disabilities in improving the way they facilitate health promotion. They highlight the need for organisational cultures to facilitate knowledge translation and embrace evidence‐based health promotion interventions.

Participants' experiences crossed the domains of palliative care and suggest that adopting a palliative care approach would enhance an enhanced quality of life, experienced in terms of meaningful and valuable occupation. Disruption to participation in occupation caused them distress and frustration, suggesting that access to occupation-focused therapy would significantly improve quality of life for people with PD. As there is a strong link between the ethos of occupational therapy and palliative care, it is proposed that there is a valuable role for occupational therapy intervention to play within palliative care.

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