Likes, Dislikes, Must-haves, and Must-nots: An Exploratory Study into the Housing Preferences of Adults with Neurological Disability

Abstract

Most people want a place they can call home; a place of their choice where they feel they belong and can live their life in whatever way they determine. Yet, people with complex physical and/or cognitive (i.e., neurological) disability typically have very little choice about where they live, or with whom they live (Commonwealth of Australia, 2009; Stancliffe et al., 2011; Taleporos, Craig, Brown, McNamara, & Forbes, 2013). Due to the extent of physical and/or cognitive impairment, adults with neurological disability often require ongoing assistance with activities of daily living and personal healthcare (Nalder et al., 2012; Piccenna, Lannin, Scott, Bragge, & Gruen, 2016) in addition to housing. Current housing challenges experienced by adults with neurological disability reflect issues relating to housing availability as well as housing suitability. Wherethe person resides often becomes a matter of forced choice (usually group homes or the family home) for the individual and their family. Three major drivers have ultimately shaped the living situation of adults with neurological disability. These drivers include: (1) challenges regarding political and legislative reform (i.e., ineffective disability services provision and a failure to penetrate market mechanisms to stimulate greater accessible housing); (2) limited conceptualisation of systemic environmental factors (i.e., the role of housing in promoting wellbeing); and (3) a narrow understanding of individual experience, wants and needs.