Examination of Community Participation of Adults With Disabilities: Comparing Age and Disability Onset

Craving inclusion: a systematic review on the experiences and needs of people with disability eating out

Purpose: To systematically review the research relating to views and experiences of people with disability eating out in cafés, restaurants, and other settings; and identify factors that impede or enhance accessibility of eating out experiences, inform future inclusive research, and guide policy development.Materials and Methods: This study involved systematic search and review procedures with qualitative metasynthesis of the barriers to and facilitators for participation and inclusion in eating/dining-out activities. In total, 36 studies were included.Results: Most studies reviewed related to people with physical or sensory disability eating out, with few studies examining the dining experiences of adults with intellectual or developmental disability, swallowing disability, or communication disability. People with disability encountered negative attitudes and problems with physical and communicative access to the venue. Staff lacked knowledge of disability. Improvements in the design of dining spaces, consultation with the disability community, and staff training are needed.Conclusion: People with disability may need support for inclusion in eating out activities, as they encounter a range of barriers to eating out. Further research within and across both a wide range of populations with disability and eating out settings could guide policy and practice and help develop training for hospitality staff.

"I'm aging faster": social participation as experienced by individuals aging with a traumatic brain injury

OBJECTIVES

1) To get an insight into the experience of aging with traumatic brain injury (TBI), and 2) explore intervention avenues perceived as promising for the social participation of this population.

METHOD

Through an exploratory descriptive study, in-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with aging TBI survivors recruited in a nonprofit community organization whose mission is to support the social participation of people living with TBI. Thematic analysis was done on qualitative data, using a hybrid approach of deductive and inductive analysis.

RESULTS

Ten aging TBI survivors with an average age of 64.9 years were interviewed. Participants expressed the perception of declining faster and with greater limitations than their fellow seniors unchallenged by TBI but also of having social participation opportunities due to their condition. A list of ten facilitators (e.g., doing activities in synch with life story) and five barriers (e.g., unequal levels of disability) to their social participation emerged.

CONCLUSION

Social participation is crucial to TBI-affected individuals' healthy aging. Nonprofit community organizations should offer opportunities for participation, mobilize environmental resources, foster self-confidence, and support the achievement of meaningful personal projects to enable the social participation of people aging with TBI.

Characterization and Health-Related Quality of Life in Older Adults With Disabilities According to Timing of Disability Onset

The current study examined characteristics of early-onset and late-onset disability in older adults and identified predictors of health-related quality of life (HRQoL). This is a secondary data analysis of the 2017 national survey in South Korea. Participants were 4,014 older adults with disabilities, who were divided into an early-onset group (n = 2,229) and late-onset group (n = 1,785). Data were analyzed using complex sample analyses. Difficulties during outdoor activity and transportation use, self-rated health, and stress were common predictors in both groups. Comorbidity was a significant predictor only in the early-onset group. Use of information technology devices, household income, and perceived social discrimination were significant predictors in the late-onset group. Characteristics and predictors of HRQoL were different between groups, despite sharing common characteristics. It is necessary to improve support systems and health care services for older adults with disabilities. [Journal of Gerontological Nursing, 48(3), 37-47.].

Definitions and Operationalization of Mental Health Problems, Wellbeing and Participation Constructs in Children with NDD: Distinctions and Clarifications

Children with impairments are known to experience more restricted participation than other children. It also appears that low levels of participation are related to a higher prevalence of mental health problems in children with neurodevelopmental disorders (NDD). The purpose of this conceptual paper is to describe and define the constructs mental health problems, mental health, and participation to ensure that future research investigating participation as a means to mental health in children and adolescents with NDD is founded on conceptual clarity. We first discuss the difference between two aspects of mental health problems, namely mental disorder and mental illness. This discussion serves to highlight three areas of conceptual difficulty and their consequences for understanding the mental health of children with NDD that we then consider in the article: (1) how to define mental health problems, (2) how to define and assess mental health problems and mental health, i.e., wellbeing as separate constructs, and (3) how to describe the relationship between participation and wellbeing. We then discuss the implications of our propositions for measurement and the use of participation interventions as a means to enhance mental health (defined as wellbeing). Conclusions: Mental disorders include both diagnoses related to impairments in the developmental period, i.e., NDD and diagnoses related to mental illness. These two types of mental disorders must be separated. Children with NDD, just like other people, may exhibit aspects of both mental health problems and wellbeing simultaneously. Measures of wellbeing defined as a continuum from flourishing to languishing for children with NDD need to be designed and evaluated. Wellbeing can lead to further participation and act to protect from mental health problems.

Development and implementation of a community-based research network

Introduction:

People aging with long-term physical disabilities (PAwLTPD), meaning individuals with onset of disability from birth through midlife, often require long-term support services (LTSS) to remain independence. The LTSS system is fragmented into aging and disability organizations with little communication between them. In addition, there are currently no evidence-based LTSS-type programs listed on the Administration for Community Living website that have been demonstrated to be effective for PAwLTPD. Because of these gaps, we have developed a community-based research network (CBRN), drawing on the practice-based research network model (PBRN), to bring together aging and disability organizations to address the lack of evidence-based programs for PAwLTPD.

Materials and Methods:

Community-based organizations serving PAwLTPD across the state of Missouri were recruited to join the CBRN. A formative process evaluation of the network was conducted after a year to evaluate the effectiveness of the network.

Results:

Nine community-based organizations across the state of Missouri joined the CBRN. CBRN members include three centers for independent living (CILs), three area agencies on aging (AAAs), one CIL/AAA hybrid, one non-CIL disability organization, and one non-AAA aging organization. To date, we have held seven meetings, provided educational opportunities for CBRN members, and launched an inaugural research study within the CBRN. Formative evaluation data indicate that CBRN members feel that participation in the CBRN is beneficial.

Conclusion:

The PBRN model appears to be a feasible framework for use with community-based organizations to facilitate communication between agencies and to support research aimed at addressing the needs of PAwLTPD.