Caring for a family member with intellectual developmental disability (IDD) often results in many negative impacts, such as higher levels of stress and depression, physical and/or mental issues, lower level of support, lower financial capacity, as well as less positive or more pessimistic views of their child’s future, and an overall lower level of perceived quality of life, compared to family caregivers of typically developed children. However, less attention has been given to family caregivers of adults with IDD, and non-parental caregivers (e.g., grandparents, siblings, cousins, and other relatives) are often excluded from those studies, despite that Quality of life (QoL) of family caregivers of children with IDD has been a popular research topic. In order to understand the caregiving experiences among family caregivers, the present study used a comprehensive conceptual framework to investigate the overall QoL of aging family caregivers of adults with IDD and how various physical, psychosocial, and health factors affected their perceived QoL. This study presents a broader and more comprehensive exploration of the QoL of family caregivers of adults with IDD, and contributes new knowledge to this group of caregivers. The result of this study can be used to provide further suggestions to the social care and welfare system about caregiver’s special needs, and to extend the capacity of family caregivers to continue providing care without jeopardizing their own physical health, mental status, and overall QoL.
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