ABSTRACT
Families play an important role in providing support to people with intellectual disabilities across the lifespan and it is not uncommon for adults with intellectual disabilities to live with ageing parents until their parents are no longer able to care for them or pass away. The impact of long-term family caregiving on the financial, health, and social well-being of caregivers is a public health concern, yet there are few policies that support families in their roles caregivers. This chapter considers family caregiving for adults ageing with intellectual disabilities from an Ecological Framework perspective, which views the needs of caregivers and care recipients as interlinked. The chapter outlines the multifaceted roles families play in providing care for adults ageing with intellectual disability and considers some of most promising and effective family supports. While it identifies some effective family supports, the chapter argues that better efforts are needed to improve family quality of life, because supporting family caregivers of people ageing with intellectual disability will enhance outcomes for the individual and the ageing family as a whole.
