Developing a model for quality evaluation in residential care for people with intellectual disability.

The authors asked experts to rate what makes a good group home.

They ran three rounds of anonymous surveys.

Consensus gave 13 standards you can check any residential ID program against.

The team ended with a ready-to-use checklist.

It covers safety, choice, staff training, family contact, and more.

No outcome data were collected; the paper is the tool itself.

Kozma et al. (2009) later looked at 68 studies and found community homes beat large institutions in seven of ten life areas. Their review includes models like this one, showing the 13 standards sit inside a bigger evidence base.

Petry et al. (2007) used the same Delphi trick to pick quality-of-life items for people with profound disabilities. Both papers prove experts can agree on what "good" looks like, even when needs differ.

Adams et al. (2021) moved the idea forward. They offer six research steps to test any new model, turning the 2000 checklist spirit into an ongoing evaluation cycle.

You now have a free, 13-point audit you can run during site visits. Use it to spot gaps, write corrective-action plans, and show funders you follow consensus-based criteria. One afternoon with the checklist can replace hunches with clear next steps.