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Ambivalence among staff regarding ageing with intellectual disabilities : Experiences and reflections

Alftberg, Åsa LU ; Johansson, Maria LU and Ahlström, Gerd LU orcid (2021) In Journal of Intellectual Disabilities 25(2). p.192-209
Abstract

This study explores the experiences and reflections of staff in intellectual disability (ID) services concerning ageing with ID. Qualitative interviews were conducted with 24 staff members in group homes and daily activity centres. The findings showed that the staff were uncertain about the signs of ageing in people with intellectual disabilities; they compared the life conditions of these people with conditions in older people without intellectual disabilities. Their emphasis on an active lifestyle was very strong. The staff members also mentioned uncertainty about how to facilitate assistive devices and whether 'ageing in place' was the best solution. The overall theme was manifested as ambivalence where notions of older people with... (More)

This study explores the experiences and reflections of staff in intellectual disability (ID) services concerning ageing with ID. Qualitative interviews were conducted with 24 staff members in group homes and daily activity centres. The findings showed that the staff were uncertain about the signs of ageing in people with intellectual disabilities; they compared the life conditions of these people with conditions in older people without intellectual disabilities. Their emphasis on an active lifestyle was very strong. The staff members also mentioned uncertainty about how to facilitate assistive devices and whether 'ageing in place' was the best solution. The overall theme was manifested as ambivalence where notions of older people with intellectual disabilities seemed incompatible with notions of old age in general and could be explained by the theoretical concept of age coding. The findings of this study indicate the need to provide education about ageing to staff working in ID services.

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Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Journal of Intellectual Disabilities
volume
25
issue
2
pages
18 pages
publisher
SAGE Publications
external identifiers
  • scopus:85105881602
  • pmid:31570036
ISSN
1744-6295
DOI
10.1177/1744629519874997
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
92b16c87-56e4-4800-8071-a50017871536
date added to LUP
2020-03-01 09:28:08
date last changed
2024-04-17 04:35:12
@article{92b16c87-56e4-4800-8071-a50017871536,
  abstract     = {{<p>This study explores the experiences and reflections of staff in intellectual disability (ID) services concerning ageing with ID. Qualitative interviews were conducted with 24 staff members in group homes and daily activity centres. The findings showed that the staff were uncertain about the signs of ageing in people with intellectual disabilities; they compared the life conditions of these people with conditions in older people without intellectual disabilities. Their emphasis on an active lifestyle was very strong. The staff members also mentioned uncertainty about how to facilitate assistive devices and whether 'ageing in place' was the best solution. The overall theme was manifested as ambivalence where notions of older people with intellectual disabilities seemed incompatible with notions of old age in general and could be explained by the theoretical concept of age coding. The findings of this study indicate the need to provide education about ageing to staff working in ID services.</p>}},
  author       = {{Alftberg, Åsa and Johansson, Maria and Ahlström, Gerd}},
  issn         = {{1744-6295}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{06}},
  number       = {{2}},
  pages        = {{192--209}},
  publisher    = {{SAGE Publications}},
  series       = {{Journal of Intellectual Disabilities}},
  title        = {{Ambivalence among staff regarding ageing with intellectual disabilities : Experiences and reflections}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1744629519874997}},
  doi          = {{10.1177/1744629519874997}},
  volume       = {{25}},
  year         = {{2021}},
}