plan for residential stability; how to deal with
guardianship and assist the person with a
disability with life choices; and how to
develop a will and plan an estate (Etmanski,
2000). Many programs for aging caregivers
have been created. Although few of these
programs have been evaluated, most anecdotal
reports on long-term planning suggest that
these approaches are helpful (Heller, 2000).
In addition, one small controlled study of
long-term planning indicated that older
families who participated in a program were
more likely to establish special needs trusts,
to look into residential placement, and to put
their desires for the future of the person with
a disability in writing (Heller & Caldwell,
2006). Practitioners working with young
children should know that these types of
programs are available and may be particularly
beneficial to older families.
Interventions specific to gender, age, and
ethnicity of caregiver
Another consideration in planning
interventions for caregivers is whether all
family caregivers will benefit from the same
types of interventions. As the review of
literature suggests, fathers may have very
different concerns and needs from mothers
and grandparents may have different needs
from parents. Parents may have different
needs across cultures. Interventions such as
support groups that are specifically for
custodial grandparents, fathers, or parents of
a particular cultural group may have particular
value.
For example, one controlled study
examined a specific intervention for
grandparents caring for a child with a
disability. This intervention focused on
support groups, which provided both support
and education about services available to
children with disabilities. The support groups
were effective in reducing depressive
symptomology and improving a sense of
mastery as compared to the control group