Provision of residential services for people with intellectual disability in Australia: an international comparison

National data on the provision of services to Australians with a disability under the Commonwealth/State Disability Agreement (CSDA) have been gathered since 1995 using the Minimum Data Set (MDS). This paper analyses MDS data on residential services for people with intellectual disability between 1995 and 1999. Notable national trends include: (a) a steady growth in the number of recipients of CSDA-funded residential services; (b) a slow but consistent decline in the proportion of people housed in large residentials; (c) a gradual increase in the number of people served in community group homes; and (d) a more rapid growth in outreach/drop-in services such as semi-independent living. Population-adjusted comparisons with residential provision for people with intellectual disability in England and the USA showed that these countries provided between 22 and 71% more places per person than Australia. There appears to be an urgent need in Australia to increase the provision of residential services to people with intellectual disability.