Quality of life of elderly people with severe intellectual disabilities in Chile

Abstract

Introduction: Currently, the concept of the quality of life (QoL) is key to defining health policies aimed at the population with intellectual disability (id). Most QoL studies in this field have been limited to people with id with higher functioning levels. This has resulted in a little interest in evaluating QoL interventions among people with id and a high need for supports, affecting their general well-being and conditioning the care they received. This study seeks to explore the QoL levels of people with severe and profound id and to examine their differences based on some variables. Material and methods: From a quantitative-descriptive approach, the San Martín scale, based on the eight-dimensional QoL Model of Schalock and Verdugo, has been used in 201 Chilean people with severe or profound id ages between 60 and 86 years. Results: Data show how most participants have low QoL levels, with self-determination and social inclusion being the most affected dimensions. When comparing the QoL score with sociodemographic variables, differences in the level of support needs and the type of center they are used are observed. Conclusion: Low QoL levels should be carefully considered because of a notable risk that they lead to greater vulnerability situations for this group. Likewise, a higher frequency in the support offered should be advocated, and spaces in which these people operate should be brought as close as possible to the community.