(1) Background. This study assesses the quality of life in families with a member with an intellectual disability using the Family Adjustment and Adaptation Response framework. (2) Methods. The study included 515 Spanish participants whose family members with disabilities range in age from infancy to adulthood. We hypothesized that it is possible to predict parenting stress by paying attention to the meaning families give to themselves and their circumstances while controlling for the impact of other variables such as family capabilities and characteristics of the family member with disabilities. We used the Beach Center Family Quality of Life Scale and the section on Exceptional needs of medical and behavioral support from the Supports Intensity Scale, together with other potential predictors. The subscale on parental stress from the Parenting Stress Index–Short Form was utilized as a criterion measure. (3) Results. Hierarchical multiple regression analysis revealed that 49% of parental stress was predicted by dysfunctional interaction, difficult behaviors, low emotional wellbeing, poor family interaction, as well as kinship as parents, and the severity of both the medical needs and intellectual disability. (4) Conclusions. The stress experienced by those families is mostly predicted by the meaning they give to themselves and their circumstances. Implications of these findings for service delivery are discussed.

This study presents the results obtained from the evaluation, by specialist judges, of the Supports Intensity Scale (SIS), Spanish version, to determine its suitability for the Mexican population with severe mental illness (SMI). The instrument, originally designed for people with intellectual disabilities, is consistent with the multidimensional concept of quality of life and the social model of disability. The semantic equivalence of the items adjusted by specialist judges, the reliability of the subscales, using Cronbach's alpha, and the concurrent validity between the SIS and the Global Functioning Assessment (GAF) were analyzed. The mean similarity to the original was 9.91 from a total of 10 (sd=0.14). The reliability coefficients were above 0.95 and the correlations between the SIS and the GAF were medium to high and significant. In conclusion, in the Mexican context, the SIS scale can be used to understand the needs and expectations of people with mental illness.

El presente estudio analiza las necesidades de apoyos de una muestra de 285 adultos con discapacidad intelectual institucionalizados. El instrumento empleado ha sido la Escala de Intensidad de Apoyos, SIS (Verdugo, Arias & Ibañez, 2007). Los resultados revelaron la existencia de bajas necesidades de apoyos en cuanto al perfil general de la muestra, si las mayores necesidades están en las dimensiones de Aprendizaje a lo largo de la vida y la dimensión con menores necesidades de apoyos es Actividades de la vida en el hogar. Los años institucionalizados o la edad no se encontraron asociados con el nivel de las necesidades de apoyos, pero sí la severidad de la discapacidad y el género. Estos resultados avalan la validez transcultural de la SIS y su utilidad para planificar servicios orientados a mejorar la vida de la población institucionalizada con discapacidad intelectual.Palabras clave: Necesidades de apoyos, evaluación, discapacidad intelectual, institucionalización.

El presente estudio de corte cualitativo, pretende analizar la percepción de profesionales, cuidadores de trato directo y directores sobre la calidad de vida de los usuarios de centros residenciales de Chile. La recogida de información se ha realizado mediante grupos focales. Los resultados obtenidos indican diferencias en las percepciones sobre la calidad de vida de las personas con discapacidad intelectual o del desarrollo según la tipología de informante. Por otro lado, los comentarios sobre la calidad de vida de los residentes reflejan una actitud excesivamente protectora que reduce las posibilidades de que estas personas sean los actores principales de sus vidas. Esta aproximación cualitativa ha permitido también identificar dimensiones del modelo de calidad de vida que se ven obstaculizadas por la institucionalización, como son los aspectos emocionales y materiales. Este estudio acentúa la importancia de los modelos mentales sustentados por los profesionales y su reflejo en las prácticas promotoras de la calidad de vida.

This research aimed to identify global changes in the way of practicing and understanding care, as well as the demands population change has generated and the implications for family and professional caregivers. An integrative literature review was performed, identifying 284 papers with the following descriptors: care and caregivers, associated with the descriptor "Nursing", published between 2005 and 2010. Forty-one papers were selected that correspond to the intended goal. The results point towards a care transition model, reconfigured by new care demands, which are mainly associated with the increase in chronic conditions and population aging. In addition, the change in social and individual roles takes care beyond the family sphere and closer to shared social responsibility. Care is the axis around which nurses rotate. Hence, it is fundamental to analyze this context, which demands evolution in professional care development.