Transitions into old age: support for family carers of people with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD)

Introduction: People with IDD are getting older, and so are their carers. The aim of this study was to explore the experiences of older family carerswith the objective of providing recommendations for scalable services thatcould be developed to meet their needs. Methods: A deep-dive method including extended qualitative interviews was carried out with older family carers of older adults withIDD. Questions focussed on the experiences of growing older whilstcontinuing in the care role, as well as the types of support individuals feltthey needed to continue in that role. Transcribed recordings weresubjected to thematic analysis. Results: Twelve family carers participated; all were over 65 years ofage, with some in their 80s. Inducted themes included challenges withsocial care services; increasing costs of support; and fears for loved ones’future once carers had died. Health problems exascerbated theirchallenges. Recommendations for future scalable services are provided. Implications: Implications of the research centre around how charitable organisations will become more important as society finally wakes up to the fact that people with IDD are living longer together with their aged parents; the result not always being positive. Funded by Awards for All & commissioned by New Forest Mencap