title: Environmental opportunities and supports for exercising self-determination in community-based residential settings.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Health Research, Lancaster University, England, UK.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Robertson
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Emerson
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hatton
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Gregory
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kessissoglou
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hallam
authors.forename: P N
authors.initials: PN
authors.lastname: Walsh
mesh_terms: 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