Equal consideration? Comparing the experience of funerals between people with and without ID. Third International Conference of IASSID Europe

Aim: To compare the ways in which people with and without ID who access care services understand and experience funeral ceremonies. The objective was to compare service provision in order to identify and promote good practice in relation to the support and social inclusion of people with ID in the processes around funerals. Method: Five focus group sessions were organized for 26 participants (16 people with ID and 10 older people without ID) in Kent and London. Data were analyzed using a grounded theory approach. Results: Similarities existed between the client groups in terms of views and beliefs held about funerals but differences were found in relation to service support, especially around choice to participate in friends/loved one?s funerals as well as considerations concerning the type of funerals individuals wished for themselves. Conclusion: Equality of opportunity and choice in life may have improved for people with ID but there remains a clear divide in the way individuals with ID are supported to experience funerals as a part of the grieving process compared to their non ID counterparts.