Outcomes and costs of community living: A matched comparison of group homes and semi-independent living

Consumer outcomes and recurrent (non-capital) service costs were compared for matched groups of Australian adults with intellectual disability living in group homes or semi-independently. Outcomes examined included quality of life, safety, aloneness, social dissatisfaction, personal care, domestic management, health care, money management, social network, use of mainstream community services, community participation, domestic participation, stability of place of residence, living companion turnover, and natural support. Most outcomes did not differ significantly by group. Where significant differences were evident, participants living semi-independently experienced better outcomes: significantly less social dissatisfaction, more frequent and independent use of community facilities, more participation in domestic tasks, and greater empowerment. There were no outcomes with significantly better results for group home participants. The lower level of staffing provided to semi-independent participants was not associated with poorer outcomes. Per-person expenditure was substantially higher for group home participants.