Background: This article aims to understand moral distress in carers of people with an intellectual disability during the COVID-19 pandemic. Method: Nine staff carers of seven people with an intellectual disability, who had been participants of the IDS-TILDA study in Ireland, who died during the COVID-19 pandemic participated in in-depth,…

Autistic individuals with intellectual disability are at greater risk of experiencing anxiety than their non-autistic peers without intellectual disability. Anxiety in this group may present as behaviour that challenges, often leading families to reach out to healthcare or support services. However, many families experience difficulties accessing…

This paper explores contemporary Irish social policy for family caregivers with specific focus on the dynamic between the individual, the family and the state in terms of the social contract for care provision for people with intellectual disability. Drawing from Bacchi's analytical framework (Bacchi, 2009), the Irish National Carers' Strategy is…

This article explores the experiences of the use of the "Regional Health and Social Care Hospital Passport" ("Regional Hospital Passport") in Northern Ireland from the perspectives of adults with intellectual disabilities, family carers and health professionals. From semi-structured interviews three themes emerged: usefulness;…

Background: As the life expectancy of people with intellectual disability increases, they may now outlive their parents or their parents' ability to continue to care. Siblings of adults with intellectual disability often succeed their parents as primary carers. Little is known about the health and well-being of this important cohort of carers who…

This practice-based paper provides a case study on co-creating a programme between a university and the voluntary sector. It analyses practical aspects of working in partnership to co-create an accredited programme to improve access to higher education for first-generation learners. In 2018, the Faculty of Lifelong Learning at South East…

Background: People with intellectual disabilities are experiencing increased longevity, and in parallel, their family caregivers are also ageing. The literature identifies that these caregivers are at risk of burden. The aim of this study was to measure the level of caregiver burden among older carers of adults with intellectual disabilities in an…

Research indicates that adults with intellectual disabilities are living longer. However, there is limited research on how this affects health and care needs. Objective: The present study aimed to examine the health and social care needs of older adults with intellectual disabilities in Ireland using multiple informants. Methods: Data were…

Background: Friendship is important to quality of life, yet people with intellectual disability have more restricted social networks and fewer friends outside family and support staff. Method: Data from a nationally representative longitudinal study of older adults with intellectual disability (aged >40) examined rates and types of friends.…

Background: Existing literature indicates that young people in state care have particular sexual health needs that include addressing their social and emotional well-being, yet little has been published as to how these components of sex education are actually delivered by service-providers. Objective: The aim of this study was to analyse the…

Most people with intellectual disabilities (IDs) live at home with family, and most carers and care recipients wish to continue this arrangement. However, despite worry about what will happen when carers are unable to continue caring, most families do not plan for the future. The "Future Care Road Map" (FCRM) pilot study sought to…

Background: Ireland has a growing population of adult persons living with family carers, thereby increasing the demand for residential places. Simultaneously, government policy aimed to reprovision residents living in congregated settings but at a time when funding was curtailed due to the economic crisis. This study examines the movements of…

A natural experiment contrasted the self-rated well-being of people with intellectual disabilities (n = 75) and those with enduring mental health problems (n = 44) after they moved to new accommodation and support options, while others remained in congregated settings or living in the family home. Most support staff also provided well-being…

Background: Aquatics is an under-researched but possibly appropriate form of activity for people with severe to profound intellectual disabilities (SPIDs). Aim: The current pilot study investigates the suitability of an aquatics programme for service users with SPIDs. Method: Four service users with SPID completed an 8-12-session aquatics…

Background: Internationally, it is known that there are gaps in cancer and screening awareness among women with intellectual disabilities. Little is known about this awareness among Irish women with intellectual disabilities. The aim of this study was to explore this awareness among these women. Materials and Methods: The study design incorporated…