In the paper the author delineates the situation of adults with intellectual disabilities living with their family carers who are not in contact with social services for their personal future plans.
Many adults with intellectual disabilities live with their parents and receive the necessary support from them in everyday life. Even today, many grown-ups with intellectual disabilities, who are living with their often very old parents, can hardly be included in the social system. Personal future plans are rarely realized, because the family care arrangements are consolidated in a way that the parents benefit from their children’s presence and are not interested in any changes. A sudden illness or the death of the parents can cause a lot of problems and trouble for their child. The person must deal with different new social situations, which are often very frustrating and overcharging for a person, who lived in a shielded, peaceful family care arrangement. Thus, planning becomes the key to preventing a crisis when family care is no longer achievable because of death or illness. In this case existing knowledge and practice are largely based upon the perspective of professionals.
Study findings show that adults with intellectual disabilities are very aware of the need for alternative housing or support in the future and had clear preferences about their future options. The awareness of the unavoidable death or a possible severe illness of family carers reveal the importance of involving adults with a learning disability in planning for their future, as well as supporting them in the case of a bereavement.
Table of Contents
Introduction
1. Background
2. KOMPASS - a German example for outreach social work
3. Conclusion
Objectives and Topics
This paper examines the life situation of adults with intellectual disabilities living with their parents, specifically focusing on those who are not in contact with social services regarding their future personal plans. It explores the barriers preventing early future planning and the critical importance of outreach social work in providing guidance to these families to prevent crisis situations.
- The challenges of long-term dependency between adults with intellectual disabilities and their aging parents.
- Barriers to proactive future planning, including psychological, emotional, and social factors.
- The role and necessity of outreach social work services in facilitating family-centered support.
- Strategies for empowering individuals with intellectual disabilities to participate in decisions about their own future.
- Analyzing the impact of potential crises, such as the sudden illness or death of primary caregivers.
Excerpt from the Book
Introduction
Many adults with intellectual disabilities live with their parents and receive the necessary support from them in everyday life. Even today, a large number of grown-ups with intellectual disabilities, who are living with their often very old parents, can hardly be included in the social system. Personal future plans are rarely realized, because the family care arrangements are consolidated in a way that the parents benefit from their children's presence and are not interested in any changes.
A sudden illness or the death of the parents can cause a lot of problems and trouble for their child. The person has to deal with different new social situations, which are often very frustrating and overcharging for a person, who lived in a shielded, peaceful family care arrangement.
In many families there is a lack of discussion about the future plans although this issue wins in stringent necessity due to the increasing age of all family members. Planning for the future thus becomes the key to preventing a crisis situation when family care is no longer achievable because of death or illness. In this case existing knowledge and practice are largely based upon the perspective of professionals. Professional experiences of the author show that a move mostly occurs only in a crisis situation, most often when a parent dies or becomes unable to care due to an accident for example, and usually results in a significant stress situation at a time of grief.
Summary of Chapters
Introduction: Provides an overview of the challenges faced by families caring for adults with intellectual disabilities and highlights the lack of proactive planning for the future.
1. Background: Examines the social and demographic factors contributing to the reliance on family care and the reluctance to engage in external planning processes.
2. KOMPASS - a German example for outreach social work: Describes a specific intervention model designed to provide accessible counseling and future-planning support to affected families in Karlsruhe.
3. Conclusion: Synthesizes the findings and emphasizes the essential role of proactive, outreach-based support in empowering families and preventing crisis-driven transitions.
Keywords
Intellectual disabilities, family care, future planning, outreach social work, deinstitutionalization, dependency, crisis prevention, social services, aging parents, autonomy, community care, counselor, independence, support systems, empowerment.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this paper?
The paper focuses on the life situation of adults with intellectual disabilities who still live with their families and currently have no contact with social service providers regarding their future living arrangements.
What are the central themes discussed in the work?
The central themes include the dependency between aging parents and their adult children with disabilities, the psychological barriers to future planning, the risk of crisis-led care transitions, and the efficacy of outreach consulting.
What is the primary objective of the research?
The main goal is to highlight the necessity of proactive, informed future planning for families and to advocate for outreach social work as a vital service to bridge the gap between these families and support systems.
Which scientific method is applied here?
This is a seminar paper based on a literature review and the synthesis of professional experiences, analyzing existing studies and social intervention models to identify best practices.
What does the main body of the text cover?
The main body explores the demographic context of family care, discusses common fears and barriers to planning, and presents the "KOMPASS" program in Germany as a successful model for outreach social counseling.
How would you characterize this work with keywords?
The work is best characterized by terms such as intellectual disabilities, future planning, outreach social work, crisis prevention, and family dependency.
Why is the "KOMPASS" program significant in this context?
KOMPASS is significant because it actively engages families in their home environment, helping them overcome the fear of professional social services and providing a low-threshold approach to future-related counseling.
What is the author's primary conclusion regarding future planning?
The author concludes that early, proactive planning is essential to empower both the individuals with disabilities and their families, ensuring that transitions are made out of choice rather than necessity due to a crisis.
- Quote paper
- Katharina Ramm (Author), 2011, Planning for the future. Adults with intellectual disabilities living with their families, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/913746
