An Exchange of Services programfor Adults with Developmental Disabilities

Area of Science:

• Social Gerontology
• Disability Studies
• Community Health Programs

Background:

• Elderly individuals often require support with daily living activities.
• Adults with developmental disabilities may benefit from meaningful employment and social engagement.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate a community program designed to match adults with developmental disabilities with elderly individuals needing assistance.
• To assess the program's impact on employment for individuals with developmental disabilities and institutionalization rates for the elderly.
• To determine the program's cost-effectiveness and participant retention.

Main Methods:

• A randomized controlled trial was employed to assess the program's efficacy.
• Data collection focused on employment status, institutionalization, well-being, costs, and participant attrition.
• Survival analysis was utilized to identify critical periods for retention.

Main Results:

• The program did not achieve its primary goals of increasing employment for adults with developmental disabilities or delaying institutionalization for the elderly.
• A significant improvement in feelings of well-being was observed among participants.
• The program incurred high costs (exceeding $200 per person-month) and experienced high attrition rates.

Conclusions:

• The community program showed limited success in its core objectives but positively impacted participant well-being.
• High costs and attrition suggest challenges in program sustainability and scalability.
• Further research is needed to optimize program design for better retention and cost-effectiveness.