Families' experiences of seeking out-of-home accommodation for their adult child with an intellectual disability

Research exploring the experiences of families during the process of seeking out‐of‐home accommodation for an adult son or daughter with intellectual disability is scarce. A study was undertaken to examine this process. Nine families currently seeking out‐of‐home accommodation for their adult son or daughter were interviewed and interview data were analyzed using thematic analysis. Two main themes were identified: (1) reasons for seeking housing and (2) experiences of seeking housing. Parents' aging and increased health problems along with the offspring's wish for greater independence were the main reasons for seeking out‐of home accommodation. Experiences of looking for a house were not straightforward in that parents often wanted to plan ahead but were prevented from doing so as the housing system prioritizes “housing crises.” Findings showed that families experienced seeking housing as stressful and frustrating and would like to see social care and housing professionals acknowledge them as collaborative partners in the process. The authors conclude there also needs to be greater clarity of expectation of the duration of finding suitable accommodation, a process that needs to be started early in a young adult's life