INFORMAL CARE NETWORKS OF OLDER ADULTS WITH AN INTELLECTUAL DISABILITY

This report describes a study of people with intellectual disability o ver the age of 40 years who were still living with relatives in the fa mily home. Previous studies have revealed that there exist different t ypes of social networks and that identifying network type and availabl e informal support is important for planning effective service deliver y. The main focus of this investigation was on the structure and chara cteristics of informal support networks and the pattern of support tha t occurred. The sample consisted of 32 individuals with an intellectua l disability, mean age 46.7 years. Overall, the study found that carer s received little support from other family members and the wider comm unity in performing personal and household care tasks. The informal ne tworks of older adults with learning disability operated on a hierarch ical basis with primary family members, particularly parents and sibli ngs, providing the bulk of informal support. Other relatives and frien ds and neighbours played a less significant role in informal care netw orks. The study also draws attention to the increasing number of elder ly carers who, often single-handedly, provide the primary sources of c are for older adults with learning disability. Contrary to what might be expected, it was found that the size of an individual's network, in terms of numbers of localised kin members, was not related to the amo unt of support the main carer received from others.