Homeward bound: Exploring the motives of mothers who brought their offspring with intellectual disabilities home from residential settings during the COVID-19 pandemic

Background
At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, some parents in the Netherlands decided to bring their offspring with intellectual disabilities, who normally live in residential care, home. The present study explored why the mothers decided to bring their offspring home.

Method
Interviews were carried out with seven mothers of adults with intellectual disabilities. An interpretative phenomenological approach was used to establish in-depth accounts of the mothers' experiences.

Results
The analysis yielded three overarching themes: (a) Families are indispensable; (b) the complex role of being a mother of a child with intellectual disabilities; and (c) Who is looking out for our offspring during COVID-19?

Conclusions
The mothers experienced a strong sense of wanting to do what was best for their offspring with intellectual disabilities during COVID-19. The study provides insight into why mothers remain involved in the care for their offspring and the complexity of navigating lifelong care responsibilities.