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Psychosocial Concerns Among Ageing Family Caregivers

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Mental Health, Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities and the Ageing Process

Abstract

The most prevalent form of care of adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities has been family caregiving, with many of those caregivers themselves ageing. Family caregiving in the family home, at all ages, has been reported to enhance quality of life and at least for some, a greater likelihood that desires for community living, participation and integration are realized.

Smaller families and greater employment participation are impacting the availability of primary and replacement caregivers and of supporters that primary caregivers rely upon. Equally, primary caregivers themselves are experiencing greater demands, and poorer personal health. They face growing psychosocial needs and challenges.

There are individually focused approaches to helping caregivers cope often by changing appraisal of the situation while family stress and coping theories focus on indicators of positive family strategies and traits such as the extent of emotional bonding among family members and the ability among family members as circumstances change to alter role relationships and relationship rules. There are also unique intervention issues depending on who are the caregivers, when transitions are needed or contemplated and when long term planning is contemplated.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Temple School of Social Work, Philadelphia, PA, USA

    Philip McCallion & Lisa A. Ferretti

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  1. Philip McCallion
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  2. Lisa A. Ferretti
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Correspondence to Philip McCallion .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Birmingham Community NHS Trust, Birmingham, UK

    Vee P. Prasher

  2. Emeritus of Pediatrics, Environmental Medicine and Psychiatry, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Hilton Head, SC, USA

    Philip W. Davidson

  3. UCD Centre for Disability Studies, School of Psychology, University College Dublin, Belfield, Ireland

    Flavia H. Santos

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McCallion, P., Ferretti, L.A. (2021). Psychosocial Concerns Among Ageing Family Caregivers. In: Prasher, V.P., Davidson, P.W., Santos, F.H. (eds) Mental Health, Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities and the Ageing Process. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-56934-1_15

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-56934-1_15

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-56933-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-56934-1

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