The issues facing ageing family carers of older people with learning disabilities will come into focus at a University of Ulster conference today.

Hosted at the Jordanstown campus and funded by the Dunhill Medical Trust, the one-day conference will examine how to best provide support for these families across Northern Ireland.

Entitled ‘Planning for the Future’, the conference will disseminate the most-up-to date evidence on how other countries support ageing family carers to continue to care for their older relative with a learning disability.

Dr Laurence Taggart, from the University’s School of Nursing, said: “The majority of people with learning disabilities live within the family setting and the issue we need to examine is how to provide support for these families as both the carers and the person with learning disabilities grow older.

“It is anticipated that this conference will create a forum for debate and discussion around current issues for ageing family carers relating to future planning, the use of community services and developing priorities for new styles of day care and residential services.”

He added: “This event will bring together academics, researchers, policy planners, commissioners, service providers including voluntary and private providers of care, front-line staff and family carers.

“The key focus will be in identifying and meeting the needs of ageing family carers of older people with learning disabilities and using evidence to inform policy, services and practice.”