Social workers' perceptions of older parents caring at home for sons and daughters with developmental disabilities

Members of the American Association on Mental Retardation (AAMR) Social Work Division (N = 395) were surveyed to determine their perceptions of their role in assisting older parents in permanency planning. Practitioners, administrators, and educators similarly perceived ease in counseling aging families, but also noted their need for additional resources and specialized training. Written comments revealed (a) that the system must do more; (b) older parents are seen as different from other parents, with practitioners concerned about dependency in these parents' relationships with their sons and daughters and administrators attributing differences to past adverse system interactions; (c) parents old and young are alike in many ways; and (d) siblings should be involved in family caregiving. Recommendations were made with regard to meeting the special needs of older families, reducing "blaming" attitudes among social workers, and expanding best practice knowledge.