In my Bachelor’s thesis I explore the everyday life of adults with intellectual disabilities in the Ljutomer area. Five carers and five people with intellectual disabilities living in the Ljutomer area participated in the qualitative research. I have conducted in-depth interviews, specifically with people with intellectual disabilities and their relatives. Through this, I explored their daily lives, their social networks, the formal and informal types of aid they receive, their involvement in activities and with the community, their material situation, housing conditions, health, risks, safety; and assessed the services already put in place. I wanted to find out how we can support them to live independently in their home environment, where obstacle appear and how to overcome them with the help of different services. The study shows that people with intellectual disabilities have ordinary days and do certain activities that have become part of their daily routine. They are all involved in a Varstveno delovni center (“Protective work centre”), where they often make friends. Their activities are often limited to their surroundings and their homes where they socialise and create. Although they are well accepted in the society, they are not sufficiently involved in the daily life of the community. There is a lack of various activities that would increase social participation and inclusion. The local community does not encourage any socialising; thus, this is largely left up to the parents. People with disabilities have a weak and narrow social network, mainly limited to family members, and are often isolated and excluded from the community. A very important form of support in the lives of people with intellectual disabilities is the informal help they receive from their relatives. Some need more help, others less. Relatives encourage them to be more independent and involve them in various activities and decision-making. However, it is important to think about other forms of help, as relatives will not always be able to look after them. The need for more funding, information, strengthening of existing services and the organisation of new forms in the community, volunteering, self-help groups, personal assistance and other forms of living such as community housing, which allows the transition from institutional care to the community has shown.
|
