Getting from here to there: future planning as reported by adult siblings of individuals with disabilities

Abstract

Background Although they will often serve as caregivers for their brothers-sisters with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), adult siblings are rarely included in future planning. Method This study examined 495 American siblings who completed a web-based questionnaire about themselves, their brother-sister with IDD, parents and whether their families completed 11 future planning activities. Results Although virtually all families completed some future planning, on average, families completed slightly over half of the 11 activities (75% completed eight or fewer). Families more frequently identified a successor to current caregivers and engaged in planning discussions with one another and with the brother-sister; least often, families completed a letter of intent or began securing residential placements. Future planning activities comprised three domains: (1) legal activities, (2) residential activities and (3) family discussions about the future. Variables relating to one or more domains included whether the brother-sister lived in or outside of family home; brother-sister independent living abilities; presence of an intellectual disability; parent caregiving ability; and current sibling caregiving and involvement with the brother-sister with IDD. Conclusions Although most families engage in some future planning, performance varies widely within and across future planning domains. Future planning involves different considerations and interventions depending on whether one is considering legal, residential or family discussions.

Health and well‐being of sibling carers of adults with an intellectual disability in Ireland: Four waves of data

“…Adult siblings may constitute a taken‐for‐granted backdrop to family care (Tozer & Atkins, 2015). Sciscione (2022) argues that there is no societal model for siblings caring for their adult brother or sister and the extant literature focusses more on siblings' anticipation of caregiving than on their experiences of being carers of their sibling with an intellectual disability (Casale et al, 2021; Doody et al, 2010; Kruithof et al, 2021; Orsmond & Seltzer 2000; Sciscione, 2022). The intention to care at some time in the future may not result in actual caregiving and the reality of caregiving may differ from the anticipations that siblings had of caregiving (Burke et al, 2016).…”