Adults with intellectual disability in regional Australia: Incidence of disability and provision of accommodation support to their ageing carers

Objective: This project aimed to identify a population of adults with intellectual disability and their carers in a defined regional area of Australia to determine their prevalence in this setting, their current accommodation situation and their future accommodation needs. Design: Mixed method cross-sectional design employed a survey to collect data from both quantitative (Likert type) and qualitative (free response) questions. Setting: Regional town and its contiguous shires in Queensland. Participants: Adults (over 18 years) with an intellectual disability and their primary carers. Main outcome measure: Identification of adults with intellectual disability and a description of their accommodation situation and perceived needs. Results: Adults with intellectual disability (n = 156) were male (60%), mean age of 37.2 years (range 18-79). Carers (n = 146) were female (78%), mean age of 61.5 years (range 40-91). The majority of adults with intellectual disability (56%) are cared for at home (mean age = 35 years). Mean age of those who live away from home was 39.8 years. The levels of support required by those living at home and those living away from home were not different, nor were the age ranges of their carers. Conclusions: Findings show that the majority of primary carers are over the age of 50 years and continue to provide medium-high levels of support within the family home. The advancing age of both carers and the people they support, combined with the location of that support, is a major issue in the provision of adequate services for this population. © 2009 The Author Journal compilation © 2009 National Rural Health Alliance Inc.