Family caregivers and the aging of the person with Intellectual Disabilities: Implications to care
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.23925/2176-901X.2015v18i3p333-352Keywords:
Intellectual disability, Aging, Family caregivers, Gerontology.Abstract
Aging of individuals with Intellectual Disability (ID) accompanies the increasing life expectancy of the general population. The atypical aging exhibited by this population calls for provision of special care. Care for these individuals during this phase of life is invariably provided by elderly caring for elderly, i.e. family caregivers. The profile of these caregivers tends to differ owing to the presence of concerns other than the provision of care. Therefore, professionals working with this population should guide, plan and implement actions that embrace these differences. Thus, the present study involved an unprejudiced analysis of the provision of care by family caregivers to aging individuals with ID. Results point to the need for multiprofessional involvement and further studies exploring difference and peculiarities in aging individuals with ID.