Profound difficulties in Housing and Supported Living for adults with intellectual disabilities in Ireland

9 November 2022  There have been a number of specific references to significant difficulties facing adults with intellectual disabilities this week following on from a RTE Prime Time Programme on Nov 1^st.  This programme detailed Sam’s story and his family’s relentless efforts to ensure he has the services and supports he needs. The College of Psychiatrists in Ireland also released a statement warned how the “system of caring for adults is beyond crisis”

At Inclusion Ireland we know that Sam and his family’s story as told on RTE Prime Time is replicated all across Ireland. There is an absolute crisis around planning for people with intellectual disabilities to move out of their family home and into a home of their own. More than 1500 disabled people are living at home with a primary carer over the age of 70 with 450 of these carers over the age of 80. Too many people are waiting, too many families are struggling. (National Federation of Voluntary Service Providers, 2022.) Inclusion Ireland have repeatedly called for the publication of the Disability Capacity Review Implementation Plan which should at least begin the process of supporting people in a planned and human rights compliant way to move into a home of their own. Right now, the system only deals with ” emergencies “.This is just not good enough. Without action people wait and try to cope or end up in emergency responses such as being ” moved” with no choice to a nursing home or to a house far away from their community and family. Such practices are heart-breaking and unacceptable and happen frequently.

Paul Alford,  an advocate who has owned his own home since 2016 says: “People have the right to their own home under UNCRPD, the people making the decisions forget that!  All the experts are telling us there are so many problems, we have reports to tell us how many people are waiting and how many people need support. They don’t need it in the future, they need it now. The government need to publish implementation plans and the actions that come with them, so people can have the independence and a life of their own. It’s not what other people want but what people themselves want. People just want the chance. We have the policies but people are waiting for years living with family or in institutions. People don’t have the funding they need.  When I got my own home, it was strange at the beginning but it was worth it in the end and worth having my key to my own door, Having and choosing my own support is important. Having my own home has contributed to my independence, I make my own decisions and do the things I want. Everyone deserves the same chance to do the same”

 

You can read the full statement  from the College of Psychiatrists in Ireland here:

Press Statement: College warns of ‘profound issues‘ with services for adults with intellectual disability around the country.

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