Aging mothers and aging daughters: Life-long caring and intellectual disability

While aging and caring are well-discussed in academic literature, the assoc iation among aging, caring and intellectual disability is less well documen ted. This paper draws on a recently completed Australian study which focuse s on such mother/daughter relationships and whose narratives form the frame work for an argument for a re-imagining of the concept of care for aged peo ple with intellectual disability. Specifically, using a genealogical approa ch, the paper describes how powerful discourses at the time of the daughter 's birth (1940s and 1950s)-associated with eugenics, institutional care and motherhood- are framing the way in which aging mothers are now contemplati ng the future care fur their adult (and also aging) daughters.