Residential circumstances of older Australians with mental retardation

Residential circumstances of Australians 55 years or older with mental retardation were investigated. Data were collected via interviews from 446 individuals living in Queensland and Western Australia who were identified following an extensive national search. Although survey results indicated that older people lived in a wide variety of residential settings, the majority still resided in large private or public institutions. There is evidence that deinstitutionalization had occurred, although it affected only 35% of the cohort. One important finding in the study concerns the relatively minor role participants play in determining their future care and residential needs. Interviews established that less than 10% of those in each sample would be involved in future decision-making processes.