Personal relationships during end-of-life care: Support staff views of issues for individuals with intellectual disability

DiscussionThe frequency of family contact was not reported as increasing or decreasing following the diagnosis of a life-ending illness and during an individual’s end-of-life. A lack of counselling support was noted as potentially impairing the individual’s friends’ ability to cope with death. Staff also reported a number of concerns regarding how their relationships with the individual changed, particularly when end-of-life entailed potential movement of the individual with intellectual disability to a new residential setting.
Source: Research in Developmental Disabilities - Category: Disability Source Type: research