How Parents Maintain Healthy Involvement with Their Adult Children: A Qualitative Study

摘要

In a review of 129 adults with developmental disabilities at a day training and habilitation program, 64 of these individuals received continuity of care and services for at least 10 straight years. In a review of these 64 clients, 42% (27) have had no regular family support. 58% (37) of the 64 clients have had some regular family support. Of those 37 clients, 29 of them have had at least one parent providing regular family support. 20 of these 29 parents were selected as interviewees by an administrative board of professionals based on a level of parental success defined by the following criteria: (a) this person is considered to be a caring parent who has maintained an active involvement with the comprehensive services of their adult child; (b) this parent has routinely invested with documented attendance in all three types of interdisciplinary team meetings: conflict resolution, emergency situations, and regular meetings; and (c) professionals such as social workers, psychiatrists, medical physicians, group home coordinators, and day programs view this parent as very reasonable in their approach to their adult child. Results suggest that healthy parents: (a) trust professionals; (b) rebuild trust after trust has been lost; (c) accept the reality of needing help; (d) successfully transition their children; (e) provide passionate advocacy efforts; (f) live a balanced life; (g) have experienced healing from shame; (h) maintain supportive contact; (i) facilitate the support of professionals; (j) allow professionals to be the provider; (k) give and receive support from other parents; and (l) listen, encourage, and learn from providers. Results were compared to interview data from mental health clinicians (van Ingen, Moore, & Fuemmeler Journal of Physical and Developmental Disabilities 20:449–465, 2008) and recommendations for future research are discussed.