Skip Navigation


BJSW Advance Access originally published online on September 12, 2005
British Journal of Social Work 2005 35(8):1377-1392; doi:10.1093/bjsw/bch241
This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow All Versions of this Article:
35/8/1377    most recent
bch241v1
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in ISI Web of Science
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow Search for citing articles in:
ISI Web of Science (1)
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Bowey, L.
Right arrow Articles by McGlaughlin, A.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

© The Author 2005. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The British Association of Social Workers. All rights reserved.

Adults with a Learning Disability Living with Elderly Carers Talk about Planning for the Future: Aspirations and Concerns

Laura Bowey and Alex McGlaughlin

Alex McGlaughlin is Reader and Associate Dean, School of Social Sciences, Nottingham Trent University.

Laura Bowey (nee Gorfin) is a Researcher with a particular interest in empowerment of people with learning disabilities and their carers.

Correspondence to Dr Alex McGlaughlin, School of Social Sciences, Nottingham Trent University, Burton Street, Nottingham NG1 4BU, UK. E-mail: alex.mcglaughlin{at}ntu.ac.uk

The majority of adults with a learning disability live with family carers, many of whom are ageing and have support needs of their own. Planning for the future thus becomes the key to preventing a crisis situation when family care is no longer viable because of death or ill health. Existing knowledge and practice are largely based upon the perspective of professionals and carers. This study explores the views, aspirations and concerns of adults with a learning disability, about living at home and planning for the future. Findings show that participants were very aware of the need for alternative housing or support in the future and had clear preferences about their future options. However, they also showed extensive concern for their family carers and this often impacted on their willingness to plan for the future or to move to alternative housing. Their demonstrable awareness of the inevitable death or ill health of family carers, and willingness to engage with the implications, emphasize the importance of involving adults with a learning disability in planning for their future, as well as providing them with bereavement support.

Keywords: learning disabilities, planning for the future, older family carers, empowerment.


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?


This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 Br J Soc WorkHome page
L. Bowey and A. McGlaughlin
Older Carers of Adults with a Learning Disability Confront the Future: Issues and Preferences in Planning
Br. J. Soc. Work, January 1, 2007; 37(1): 39 - 54.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Disclaimer: Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.