Environmental opportunities and supports for exercising self-determination in community-based residential settings.
Information was collected on the environmental opportunities for exercising self-determination among 281 adults with mental retardation receiving community-based residential supports. The results indicated that: (1) the majority of participants had little or no opportunity to exercise self-determination over major life decisions (e.g., with whom and where to live, the recruitment and retention of care staff); (2) even in more mundane areas, such as where and when to eat, the majority of participants were not supported to exercise effective control; (3) variation in environmental opportunities to exercise self-determination was strongly related to a range of factors including participant ability, previous residential history, and structural and procedural aspects of the residential supports currently provided.
Robertson
J
J
Institute for Health Research, Lancaster University, England, UK.
Emerson
E
E
Hatton
C
C
Gregory
N
N
Kessissoglou
S
S
Hallam
A
A
Walsh
P N
PN
D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000328:Adult; D003657:Decision Making; D004777:Environment; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008607:Intellectual Disability; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D026684:Personal Autonomy; D011788:Quality of Life; D012112:Residential Facilities