Getting personal: an exploratory study of intimate and personal care provision for people with profound and multiple intellectual disabilities.

Intimate and personal care is a major area of support and provision for people with intellectual disability (ID), particularly those with profound and multiple ID. However, its management and practice has largely been neglected outside the use of individual guidelines and same-gender intimate care policies, with little research evidence or theoretical literature to inform the planning, conduct and organization of associated care tasks. The present paper reports on the methodology and findings of an exploratory study designed to map the key management and practice issues, and suggest ways forward for the providers of services for people with ID in relation to the quality and outcomes of intimate and personal care.