Residenzialità per la disabilità intellettiva: evidenze, principi evolutivi e implicazioni applicative

Abstract

Introduction

Since the last appraisals of international experiences in institutionalized care for persons with intellectual disabilities (ID), the concept of residentiality is once again evolving. The purpose of this article is to review and discuss the most recent and significant literature on this topic.

Materials and methods

The authors, experienced professionals in this field, performed a search of relevant scientific articles published in the last 5 years. These articles were then reviewed and analyzed to produce the present review.

Results

Small apartments within the community and the so-called cluster centres are currently considered the most efficient residential solutions for individuals with ID. However, the criteria for judging the appropriateness of a residence for these persons are heterogeneous, poorly defined, or overly restrictive. Growing attention is being placed on person-related measures, including quality of life, which is one of the most widely used parameter. It reflects the individual relation between attribution of importance and perception of satisfaction in areas of life with qualitative implications for all people.

Conclusions

Research on residential care for people with ID is still limited, quantitatively and qualitatively. Nevertheless, it appears to be capable of identifying some solutions that are more effective than others, at least in terms of certain parameters. The application of new conceptual models seems to support the need for a broad range of residential solutions capable of meeting a variety of individual needs.