Promoting Self-Determination of Adults with Intellectual Disabilities: the right to self-determination in group homes

Abstract

Self-determination is an important part of everyone’s life. To live an independent and fulfilling live one wants to make their own decisions, both big and small. But what if you have intellectual disabilities and are living in a group home? Even those with limited intellectual comprehension have the right to self-determination. Over the last decade the living situation of many adults with intellectual disabilities changed from institutional care to group homes. During the changes the group homes also changed, and self-determination moved more into the focus of the staff.

This thesis will look at the right to self-determination of adults with intellectual disabilities living in group homes in Finland. The staff members of group homes are responsible for the safety of the residents as well as the empowerment of independent living, and the right to self-determination. To research how the staff is promoting independent living and how self-determined the residents feel interviews were conducted within one group home. The residents were interviewed individually and the staff members in form of a group interview.

To analyze the results the two interviews were compared to show similarities and differences. Surprisingly the focus of the staff on self-determination was mostly orientated towards the eating habits of the residents. They are asking themselves whether they should support unhealthy eating habits or forbid them. They compared the changes in the residents and their self-determination to the times before the law changed. The residents on the other hand were quite content with their independence and self-determination, they understand that they cannot always decide everything, but enjoy deciding e.g., what to spend their money for.

The concluding main point of the research is that more time and communication is needed to fully empower the right to self-determination. The more time the staff spends with the residents, the more they communicate, and in return, the better they understand each other. Residents can talk about their wishes and the staff will understand how to make them reality – or how to explain that the implementation of the wish is not possible. Each resident is unique and needs unique communication, support, and rules.