Residential services for individuals with intellectual disabilities in Chile. Moving towards good practices

Abstract

This study aims to understand the vision and practices of service providers on care provided and its relation to the support and quality of life of institutionalized Chileans with intellectual disabilities. The methodology used consisted of content analysis of the information obtained from three service provider focus groups. The results indicate that while progress is being made in the quality of services offered to these users, it is necessary to take another step to move from the provision of essential services to the promotion, recording and tracking of quality results. This change requires a joint effort at the different levels of the system, including public policies that focus on personal development opportunities and personal outcome, as well as professionals committed to the promotion of best practices.