Moving On: “it’s not just about finding a place to put your head.” A constructivist grounded theory study exploring the end of co-residence for adults with learning disabilities and their family members.

The end of familial co-residence is becoming an increasingly common transition experience for families living with learning disability. Despite this being a significant event in the lives of such families there is very little research exploring the process, particularly from the perspective of the family. The purpose of this study was therefore to explore, conceptualise and theorise the experiences of adults with learning disabilities and their families throughout the end of familial co-residence, a transition labelled as, ‘moving on’.
This thesis presents a constructivist grounded theory study of the experiences of people with learning disabilities and their family members. All participants were over the age of 18, had the capacity to provide informed consent and were embarking on this transition, or had already ended familial co-residence. A review of the existing literature concerning the experiences of caring for pwld, and this particular transition, informed the sensitizing concepts and foreshadowed questions. Narrative interviews were conducted over a 12-month period with eight families. Interviews incorporated creative approaches to enable engagement, consistent with the inclusive approach adopted throughout this study. The resulting ‘moving on’ stories were analysed and the mid-range theory of renegotiation is presented in this thesis. In essence, this theory highlights the relational and temporal significance of the transition process, occurring over time and shaped by family relationships. The proposed renegotiation theory is discussed in the light of existing literature. The quality and value of the renegotiation theory as a contribution to the field of learning disability and family care research is regarded. Finally, recommendations and implications for research and practice are considered.