McConkey Roy
School of Nursing,University of Ulster,Newtownabbey,Northern,IrelandBT37 OQB.
Ir J Psychol Med. 2006 Jun;23(2):68-73. doi: 10.1017/S0790966700009605.
Over the past three decades, major changes have taken place internationally in the type of residential accommodation provided for people with intellectual disabilities but these appear to be less evident in Northern Ireland.
A census was undertaken of all persons in any form of residential placement using a range of existing databases to identify the population, with a short questionnaire completed for each resident.
Around 440 persons lived in hospitals and 1,970 in some other form of provision but mostly in large congregated settings such as residential care homes and nursing homes. This was more marked in certain Health and Social Service Boards than in others. Most places are provided by the private sector although voluntary organisations and housing associations now manage around one-third of places. People living in hospitals reportedly had different characteristics to those in all other settings while those in nursing homes tended to require greater personal care. However the characteristics of people living in residential homes, supported living arrangements and village communities were broadly comparable. Around one in 10 persons were deemed to benefit from a move; mostly from residential homes to more independent living arrangements.
Compared to Britain and the Republic of Ireland there is an under-provision of residential placements in Northern Ireland. To date, funding from outside of health and social services has been the main driver for the type of accommodation provided. The implications for future policy and provision are discussed.
在过去三十年里，国际上为智障人士提供的居住形式发生了重大变化，但在北爱尔兰这些变化似乎不太明显。
利用一系列现有数据库对所有以任何形式居住安置的人员进行普查，以确定人口数量，并为每位居民填写一份简短问卷。
约440人住在医院，1970人以其他某种形式安置，但大多是在大型聚居场所，如养老院和疗养院。某些卫生和社会服务委员会辖区内这种情况比其他辖区更明显。大多数场所由私营部门提供，不过志愿组织和住房协会目前管理着约三分之一的场所。据报告，住在医院的人与其他所有场所的人特征不同，而住在疗养院的人往往需要更多的个人护理。然而，住在养老院、支持性居住安排场所和乡村社区的人的特征大致相当。约十分之一的人被认为会因搬迁而受益；大多是从养老院搬到更独立的居住安排场所。
与英国和爱尔兰共和国相比，北爱尔兰的居住安置供应不足。迄今为止，卫生和社会服务以外的资金一直是所提供住宿类型的主要驱动因素。文中讨论了对未来政策和供应的影响。
