An Exploratory Study of the Support Needs in 24/7 Online Support for People With Mild Intellectual Disabilities

Abstract

Service organizations for people with intellectual disabilities (ID) increasingly look for technological applications to improve their services. DigiContact is an online support service developed by Philadelphia Care Foundation in the Netherlands which enables independently living people with ID to contact specially trained support workers 24/7. The purpose of this study was to explore the support needs for which people with ID use online support. We first conducted interviews with 21 individuals with ID who use the online support service. Transcriptions of the interviews were analyzed using inductive thematic analysis. Second, online support workers registered items regarding the support needs when in contact with support users. These data were analyzed to assess which and how often the support needs were present. Online support is used for a broad variety of issues. Four themes emerged during analysis of the interviews: mental health, social contacts (conflicts with others as well as lack of contacts), practical issues, and physical health. Analysis of the support workers' data showed that making a connection with someone and talking about worries and stress are the two most frequent support needs. Most support needs did not differ across the time of day or across the week. The results suggest that 24/7 online support is a useful way of providing services to independently living people with ID. Unlimited access to support has multiple advantages. It appears to have a signaling and a preventive function with regard to emotional and behavioral problems.

The use of online support by people with intellectual disabilities living independently during COVID‐19

“…In a previous study, we found that DigiContact was often used to ventilate worries and frustrations with an aim to relieve oneself of them (Zaagsma et al . 2019). A lack of accessible information on the virus and the containment measures (Courtenay and Perera 2020) may also have contributed to the increase in unplanned online support use as, especially during the first weeks, people with ID were left with questions that caused them to contact the service.…”

eHealth in the support of people with mild intellectual disability in daily life: A systematic review

“…In addition, although less frequently, eHealth was also used in other functions, for instance as a self‐supportive tool and for the provision of remote professional contact. It would be beneficial for future eHealth applications to focus on these functions, too, especially because of their potential to empower people with mild intellectual disability and fine‐tune their personal needs in their own environment (Den Brok & Sterkenburg, 2015; Wennberg & Kjellberg, 2010; Zaagsma, Volkers, Schippers, Wilschut, & van Hove, 2019). These eHealth applications could contribute to important issues in the lives of people with mild intellectual disability, such as making their own choices in various domains in life, enhanced independent functioning and being an active member of society (Carey, Friedman, & Nelson Bryen, 2005; Haight et al, 2013; Wehmeyer et al., 2012).…”

eHealth in support for daily functioning of people with intellectual disability: Views of service users, relatives, and professionals on both its advantages and disadvantages and its facilitating and impeding factors

“…Regarding the latter, it is important to emphasise that people with ID living in supported community settings often need support with tasks related to daily functioning in order to meet their personal needs (Thompson et al, 2009). Usually this support is provided through onsite support staff (Stancliffe & Lakin, 2007), yet eHealth can have several potential benefits as an alternative (Taber-Doughty et al, 2010;Zaagsma, Volkers, Schippers, Wilschut, & Van Hove, 2019). That is, support for daily functioning delivered through eHealth can be more focused, targeted and specific because it is offered as needs arise rather than regardless of immediate needs (Perry et al, 2009).…”

“…However, before further examining the effectiveness of eHealth in support for daily functioning for service users with ID, it is essential to explore the expectations and perceptions of relevant stakeholders towards eHealth in support for daily functioning, as these factors are vital in the successful use of eHealth (Clifford Simplican, Shivers, Chen, & Leader, 2018;Oudshoorn, Frielink, Nijs, & Embregts, 2020;Ramsten, Martin, Dag, & Marmstål Hammar, 2019;Wennberg & Kjellberg, 2010;Zaagsma et al, 2019). Obviously, the expectations and perceptions of service users themselves are imperative for the actual use of eHealth in support for daily functioning.…”

“…Obviously, the expectations and perceptions of service users themselves are imperative for the actual use of eHealth in support for daily functioning. So far, several studies explored service users' expectations and perception, focusing in particular on a specific eHealth application, such as a cognitive assistive device (Wennberg & Kjellberg, 2010) or an online support service called DigiContact (Zaagsma et al, 2019). Moreover, as support staff are often key agents in the lives of people with ID, their expectations and perceptions of eHealth in support for daily functioning are imperative as well (Clifford Simplican et al, 2018;Ramsten et al, 2019).…”