The Everyday Life of People with Intellectual Disabilities in Organized Housing

Abstract

The process of deinstitutionalization in Croatia intensified in 2014, as a significant number of people with intellectual disabilities (hereafter ID) moved from institutional settings to group homes, which serve as a model for community settings. The current research aims to find out what everyday life is like for people with ID in group homes. A qualitative, ethnographic approach was applied. The methods used were observation and in-depth interviews. The sample consists of 13 female and 14 male participants from 11 group homes located in different parts of Croatia. The results show that people with intellectual disabilities are partially involved in everyday tasks in organized housing, although there is much more potential. A large part of the day is spent aimlessly, but there are also many examples of meaningful leisure activities. Mutual relations between tenants are in principle fine, but there is a lack of substantial communication and more intensive contact. The unfavorable characteristics of everyday life are particularly evident among tenants with severe disabilities and in housing units where staff are present most or all the time. The results obtained are discussed in the context of existing research.