Demand for special needs residential services to soar

Eddie Cassidy

Researchers revealed yesterday the increased demand for full-time services was due to people with special needs living longer.

Health boards anticipate having to provide full-time accommodation for a further 1,776 individuals up to the year 2008.

Currently, 8,092 avail of full-time residential services with a majority also attending day programmes.

Almost 23,500 people, just over 90% of people registered with intellectual disabilities, attend health board-backed programmes.

People registered with intellectual disabilities represent 0.65% of the population.

The figures were contained in the 2003 Annual Report of the National Intellectual Disability Database, which was published yesterday.

The report, compiled by the Health Research Board (HRB), stated the number of people with intellectual disability requiring residential services, was at its highest level since national records began in 1995.

The report's authors, Steve Barron and Fiona Mulvany of the HRB, said residential services are primarily used by adults with a more severe intellectual disability.

"Since the database was established in 1995, the number of older adults with a more severe intellectual disability has been consistently increasing," they said. "Many of this group continue to live at home with their families and when their existing caring arrangements become unsustainable, demand grows for appropriate residential support services and full-time residential services."

Meanwhile, the demand for day services was expected to fall by 546 between 2004-2008 to its lowest level, the report showed.

Researchers attributed the anticipated drop in day placements to the significant progress achieved in meeting the demand for day services.

At present, 2,284 people were identified as either being without any services or without a major element of service.

The report also showed that a further 1,637 people will require residential supports, such as respite services, which is a reduction of 11% since 2002.

The number of people without any support at present, and who will require some service before 2008 is at 356 the lowest figure reported since 2002.

A further 2,093 people were identified as not having any current requirement for services.