SW 644: Issues in Developmental Disabilities Aging Parents of Children with Mental Retardation

1
SW 644 Issues in Developmental
DisabilitiesAging Parents of Children with
Mental Retardation

• Lecture Presenter
• Marsha Seltzer, Ph.D.

2
Family Care Givers

• Care giving experience
• Type of relationship
• Type of disability
• Duration of dependency
• Characteristics of care giver and care recipient

3
Study Aging Families of Children with MR The
Impact of Lifelong Care Giving

• Variables of interest
• Coping style
• Consequences of changes in family composition
• Factors associated with favorable well-being in
  older women with an unusual care giving experience

4
Background Information

• Out-of-home placement vs. in-home placement
• Lifespan
• Percentage of people with MR residing in the
  parental home by age

5
Aging

• Aging of US society (1900 2050)
• Needs of older families differ from younger

6
Rationale

• Dual challenge continued care giving
  responsibilities and adjusting to their own aging
  (also, care giving to other family members)

7
Goal Respond to Gap in Knowledge Base

• Predictors of positive outcomes for young
  families with an adult child with MR
• Gerontology caring for an elderly relative

8
Why Study Older Care Giving Families?

• Persons with MR are living longer
• Older persons can be family resources
• Parenting after the child is an adult is an
  off-cycle role
• In this example, the care recipient will be the
  survivor
• Well need to learn more about changes in family
  composition

9
Methods

• Sample drawn from 2 states
• Massachusetts (225) and Wisconsin (225) 450
• Sample is mainly middle class, Caucasian
• Age of mother 55-64 50 and 65 50
• Age of adult with MR 20-34 50 35 50

10
Methods (cont.)

• Gender of adult ½ male ½ female
• Level of MR mild/moderate 75 and
  severe/profound 25
• Low divorce rate
• ¼ still employed

11
Measures

• Interviews self administered with siblings,
  adult with MR, and parent

12
Mothers of Adults with MR

• Source of stress
• Aging process
• Care giving
• Other responsibilities

13
Sources of support

• Family
• Social
• Formal

14
Personal Resources

• Coping abilities
• Locus of control
• Self-esteem
• Optimistic outlook

15
Well-being

• Physical health
• Mental health
• Positive and negative feelings about care giving

16
Two Examples

• Sullivans
• Petersons

17
Findings Comparison with Other Families

• Comparison of well-being
• Better physical health
• Less depression
• More satisfied with life
• Less stressed
• Less burdened

18
Possible Explanations

• Self-selection process
• Adjustment over time
• Deriving benefit from relationship
• Continued sense of purpose

19
Motivation for Lifelong Care Giving

• Family responsibility
• Distrust of alternatives
• Protection
• Mutual benefits
• No alternatives

20
Future Options of Adult Child with MR

• Another family member takes over care (50)
• Out-of-home placement, formal (9)
• Both (23)
• No plans (17)

21
Siblings of Adult with MR

• Provide emotional support (80)
• Provide direct care (20)
• Older sister is most likely to have greater
  involvement, or the sibling of the same sex

22
Siblings of Adult with MR (cont.)

• No sibling mother tends to feel greater degree
  of burden, stress, and is at greater risk for
  poorer health and less life satisfaction
• Mother sensitivity toward sibling and adult with
  MR relationship
• Family size and maternal well-being

23
Impact of Out-of-Home Placement on Mothers

• Higher rate of depressions
• Result of care givers own illness
• Loss of meaningful role

24
Coping with Dual Challenge

• Benefits of giving

25
Statements from Mother
26
Conclusions

• Later life parenting provides a meaningful role
  to older persons
• Function of giving or nurturance in older age
• What differentiates the mothers in the study from
  other older women is that their giving has
  lasted much longer and is much more intensive