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Older parents of people who have a learning disability: perceptions of future accommodation needs
- Author:
- DAVYS Deborah
- Journal article citation:
- British Journal of Learning Disabilities, 36(1), March 2008, pp.66-72.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
The aim of this qualitative study was to provide an insight into the perceptions of older parents of learning disabled people on the future accommodation needs of their adult children. Semi-structured interviews were used to seek parental awareness of residential options available, concerns in relation to future accommodation and the preferred accommodation options for their offspring. Four couples who shared the family home with an adult who has a learning disability took part in the study and data were analysed using a step-by-step form of content analysis. Emergent themes from transcripts were then organized into main categories. The results of this study suggest that older parents are dissatisfied with both statutory and private services, that they have concerns for their nondisabled children and their own ageing. Being a parent to a person who has a learning disability is seen to be a difficult task and yet parents may want to provide support at home for as long a possible. Of the parents who participated in this study, three couples wanted to maintain their adult child at home for as long as possible and the parents who were actively seeking accommodation outside the family home expected to be involved in all aspects of their daughter's care for the long-term future.
Futures planning: adult sibling perspectives
- Authors:
- DAVYS Deborah, MITCHELL Duncan, HAIGH Carol
- Journal article citation:
- British Journal of Learning Disabilities, 43(3), 2015, pp.219-226.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
A total of 15 adult siblings of people who have a learning disability were interviewed in relation to their future wishes and expectations of care giving. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) was used to analyse transcripts from the interviews where it was demonstrated that futures planning remains an area of difficulty for families of learning disabled people. The range and degree of plans in place were variable across the families and overall, plans tended to lack detail and clarity. Various factors were cited as hindrances to the futures planning process such as parental anxiety, difficulty with service providers, superstition, attitude, assumption and life stage. Futures planning presented as a transitional process and further research into how best to support families and individuals who have a learning disability to develop long term yet flexible plans is indicated. (Publisher abstract)