Added value of facility management in institutes for intellectually disabled residents (with a severe behavioural disorder)

Within Facility Management (FM) the connection between organisation and space is a well-established topic. This study was made in the context of discovery and explored to what extent changes in organisation and space can contribute to the quality of life of intellectually disabled residents with a severe behavioural disorder (hereafter called residents) and a need for low stimulus intensity.
In scientific literature the influence of the spatial environment on well-being of this specific group of residents has been described extensively by scholars in psychology. However, the joint optimisation of organisation and space is relatively new in FM and relates to studies on evidence based design and healing environments.
This current study explores the relationship between different configurations in organisation and space in real life on one side and aggressive behaviour of two residents on the other. The research design was a longitudinal comparative case study and combined retrospective analysis with analysis of the current situation. The applied methods included document analysis, interview, photography, and walkthrough.
Residents were exposed to different degrees of stimulus intensity in different periods. In periods where residents were exposed to a low stimulus intensity in organisation and space a relatively low number of incidents was reported. To be more precise: in periods where residents were exposed to few peer-residents, a custom-made team, a stable team composition, a standard team approach, and many personal spaces less incidents were reported than in periods where residents were often exposed to peer-residents, a group-based team, changes in team composition, no standard team approach, and many group spaces. These preliminary results suggest that a fit between the needs of residents with organisational and spatial designs can improve the well-being of residents. Further research among a larger population of residents should reveal if the current results have more general validity and whether these current findings would also be valid for other care institutes.