Caring for a family member with intellectual disability into old age: Applying the sociocultural stress and coping model to Italian and Greek migrants in Australia
- Resource Type
- Authors
- Ruth Walker; Sally Gordon; Claire Hutchinson; Fiona Rillotta; Irene Belperio
- Source
- Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities. 33:887-897
- Subject
- 030506 rehabilitation
Coping (psychology)
Education
Developmental psychology
03 medical and health sciences
Intellectual Disability
Adaptation, Psychological
Intellectual disability
Developmental and Educational Psychology
medicine
Humans
Cross-cultural
Family
0501 psychology and cognitive sciences
Sociocultural evolution
Transients and Migrants
Greece
Family caregivers
05 social sciences
Stressor
Australia
medicine.disease
Family member
Caregivers
Italy
0305 other medical science
Psychology
050104 developmental & child psychology
- Language
- ISSN
- 1468-3148
1360-2322
BACKGROUND Little is known about how older parent caregivers from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds experience caring for their family member with intellectual disability into late life. METHOD In-depth semi-structured interviews were carried out with N = 19 family caregivers aged 50-91 from ten Italian and four Greek families. The Sociocultural Stress and Coping Model was used as a framework to interpret their experiences. RESULTS A number of stressors including the need to make sacrifices, physical and emotional demands, uncertain futures and challenges associated with "the system" were identified. While family members play a key role in providing support, changing values around filial responsibility were evident. DISCUSSION Further attention needs to be given to CALD families to address challenges associated with caring for their family member with intellectual disabilities as they age. This study also challenges assumptions that CALD families prefer to keep caring within the family long-term.