Non-material needs in the care of people with intellectual disabilities in residences

Abstract

There is a broad consensus among care professionals about the importance of the attention to non-material needs. In the care of people with disabilities, these issues acquire a special relevance (Swinton, 2002, Clarke & Cardman, 2002, Kaye & Raghavan, 2002). Spirituality helps to face complex situations and has a direct relationship with well-being and resilience. In the health and social professions, this internal dimension must be kept in mind, either from the point of view of giving meaning to life, or in religious terms. Residential homes, where people with intellectual disabilities live, are ideal places to take care of these aspects. A questionnaire was sent to 172 professionals and the data were triangulated with interviews with family members, professionals and people with intellectual disabilities. The results show that people with disabilities who live in residences make decisions about their own lives, especially in the short term. On the other hand, these decisions decrease as it has a more long-term implication. In addition, we perceive residential homes as places where there are spaces of silence related to the interiority of people with intellectual disabilities.