It is very difficult to speak up for intellectually disabled persons in front of a guard of experts in the institutions. It is extremely important to take into account the family members right to gain information, to express requests, and to have an impact on all the issues. Alternatives to Institutional Care Institutional care is often the only alternative to intellectually disabled persons. Institutional care should be abolished and more meaningful alternatives should be created. Life situations can be improved along with the implementation of integration and inclusion.
Coercive measures are a problem especially in institutions and in large units.
The reason for this is the culture in institutions and in large units offers very limited possibilities for intellectually disabled persons to express themselves, and to have privacy, right for self-determination, and equality. Institutions, as a whole, produce misbehavior and other negative influences, because the basic things that constitute quality of fife are out of reach of intellectually disabled persons. The most important thing at the moment in the care of intellectually disabled persons in Finland is to clarify the difference in quality of life in institutions and in small units, instead of trying to wipe off the boundaries between institutions and small units. It is a question of services that are very different in quality. Thinking about future, if we want to get rid of coercive measures, institutions should be closed and an increasing amount of services in local community should be created.