Post-parental housing transitions among adults with intellectual disability

Summary

This project aims to address the urgent issue of growing numbers of older people with intellectual disability (ID) outliving their parent carers who have not put future care plans in place. This project expects to generate a national evidence-based framework for ensuring successful post-parental housing and care transitions. By using a three-phase mixed methodology design conducted in three Australian cities, expected outcomes of the project include the development of an Australian-first evidence-based resource kit which should provide significant benefits for older people with ID, their family carers and the disability sector.

Impact

This project will advance knowledge by generating a national framework from which governments, the disability, housing, and ageing sectors can base policy and practice responses to address the housing needs of adults with ID and their older family members. It will ensure Australia is at the forefront of policy and practice regarding transitions to post-parental housing and living arrangements in urban areas. By supporting a shift from a crisis-driven approach to best practice in transition planning, this project will assist in the cost-effective allocation of resources to support transitions of adults with ID. This will reduce demand for costly and often harmful crisis interventions (such as mental health and crisis accommodation), allowing advanced planning of necessary long-term housing assistance, personal support and other services.

Project Details

Funding partner

Australian Research Council (Linkage) (LP200200326)

Timeframe

2021 - 2026

Publications

Journal articles:

Belperio, I., Walker, R., Bigby, C., Wiesel, I., Rillotta, F., & Hutchinson, C. (2026). Adults with intellectual disabilities moving out of the family home under the National Disability Insurance Scheme: Family members’ planning experiences. Australian Journal of Social Issues, 61(2), 372-383. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajs4.70078
Walker, R., Belperio, I., Bigby, C., Wiesel, I., Rillotta, F., & Hutchinson, C. (2025). The transition from family home to alternative living arrangements: Experiences of adults with intellectual disabilities and their family members. Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities, 38(2), Article e70047. https://doi.org/10.1111/jar.70047
Belperio, I., Rillotta, F., Adam, T., Walker, R., & Hutchinson, C. (2024). Inclusive data analysis using the housing pathways model to understand housing preferences of adults with intellectual disabilities and their families: A pilot study, Social Sciences, 13(3), Article 170. https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci13030170
Belperio, I., Walker, R., Bigby, C., Wiesel, I., Rillotta, F., & Hutchinson, C. (2024). Whose voice is it anyway? Adults with intellectual disabilities and future planning: A scoping review of qualitative studies. Journal of Intellectual & Developmental Disability, 49(2), 215-228. https://doi.org/10.3109/13668250.2023.2293334

Easy english resources:

View this easy English video to learn more about the Australian Research Council Linkage Project 'Choosing the way forward'.

Team

DCI researchers

Flinders University researchers

Dr Claire Hutchinson
Dr Irene Belperio

Research partners

La Trobe University – Professor Christine Bigby
University of Melbourne – Associate Professor Ilan Wiesel
National Disability Services – Emily Forrest
Bedford Phoenix Inc
genU
Office for Ageing Well