Author:

Keywords:

quality of life, elderly persons, ageing, intellectual disability, questionnaire, Social Sciences, Science & Technology, Life Sciences & Biomedicine, Psychology, Educational, Rehabilitation, Psychology, 1607 Social Work, 1701 Psychology, 1702 Cognitive Sciences, 4203 Health services and systems, 5201 Applied and developmental psychology, 5203 Clinical and health psychology

Abstract:

Background: Persons with Intellectual Disabilities (ID) age into near normal ranges. Being able to evaluate their Quality of Life (QOL) and the quality of the support strategies they get, matters. Research re-veals that QoL and Quality of Support (QoS) are coloured by specific age- and- ID aspects.Method: We developed an itempool on the basis of a systematic literature review and of focus groups with elderly persons with ID, caregivers, and experts. It contained relevant QoL- outcomes, QoL- influencing support strategies, and characteristics of the elderly and their environment, specific to elderly persons with ID. Drawing from this pool, we developed two questionnaires.Results: Both questionnaires are specific to persons with lifelong ID, older than 65 years (older than 50 years when Down syndrome or pro-found ID / PIMD). The QOL- EPID (Questionnaire on QoL for Elderly Persons with ID) examines the eight QoL domains of Schalock, plus an extra domain of Existential Wellbeing. The QOS- EPID (Questionnaire on Quality of Support for Elderly Persons with ID) examines support strategies on macro, meso and micro level.Conclusions: The questionnaires are currently used in a survey in different Flemish care settings. They provide a new, specific way to measure QoL and QoS of elderly persons with ID.