PEOPLE WITH LEARNING-DISABILITIES LIVING IN COMMUNITY-BASED HOMES - THE RELATIONSHIP OF QUALITY-OF-LIFE WITH AGE AND DISABILITY

This paper describes the quality of life of 57 older adults with learn ing disabilities living in small staffed homes. Quality of life was me asured using Living in a Supervised Home: A Questionnaire on Quality o f life. Information regarding the level of disability of the group was collected using the Wessex Scale. The relationship between age, disab ility and quality of life was explored. In this population of older pe ople, age is associated with greater self-help skills but greater degr ees of mobility and continence problems. Age is positively associated with higher scores on the routine sub-scale, with more opportunity to make decisions and more integrative activities. Having more self-help skills is positively associated with more opportunity to make decision s and negatively associated with scores on the routine sub-scale. Havi ng more problems in continence and mobility is positively associated w ith scores on the routine sub-scale. These findings are discussed with reference both to the nature of the participant group and to the meas urement of quality of life.