ALEX and Emidy Russell cannot help worrying about what would happen to their daughter Jennifer if they could not care for her.

Jennifer, 45, has Down's syndrome. She is also severely deaf in one ear and partially deaf in the other.

She lives with her parents in Castle Douglas and they ensure she spends time doing activities that make her feel valued.

She spends three days a week working at the local print shop where she makes cards and notebooks, for which she gets the small but important pay of £9 a week. She also enjoys the ballet, going to church and playing on her tablet computer.

When she is not out and about, she is with her mother and father. "We're a threesome," says Mr Russell, 72.

Yet, while all is well now, the Russells think about what will happen to Jennifer if they are no longer there to care for her. Jennifer has always been around her parents.

The Russells have two other daughters, but neither live locally.

The Russells can leave Jennifer for two or three hours, but any longer and she starts to wonder what is going on.

"She's never been away from us for 45 years," says Mr Russell. "If you have an accident, what happens? If suddenly you have to go to hospital, what happens?"

Such concerns are acutely felt by the parents and family carers of adults with learning disabilities. As more people with learning disabilities live longer, their parents are caring for them sometimes well into their 70s or 80s and must face the question of what to do if they become too ill or frail to cope. Worries about how their son or daughter will be cared for, how much money they will have, where they will live and whether they will be listened to, can cause sleepless nights.

Supporting such families is a major part of the work of Enable Scotland, the charity for people with learning disabilities and their family carers. Enable, supported by this year's Herald Christmas Appeal, campaigns to promote future and emergency planning for older carers, so arrangements are in place to allow adults with learning disabilities to be lovingly looked after.

The charity also helps families by advising on steps they can take now to plan for the future, and runs a network of local branches where older carers can meet.

With the help of Enable, the Russells have put plans in place that have brought them peace of mind. They already had a will, but talking to staff from Enable made them realise there were other things they could do to safeguard Jennifer's future.

They set up a discretionary trust, to be run by trustees including family members and Enable. This specifies how Jennifer's portion of the estate should be spent. "We were specific about the things she likes to do," says Mr Russell. "She likes to go to get her hair done, likes to get her chiropody done and so on. We know it's going to be managed for her benefit. It's taken away the pressure."

The couple are also active in their local Enable branch network. Enable is lobbying locally and nationally for councils to provide emergency planning support services to people.

This could involve Alex and Emidy each carrying a card with an identification number on it, which, in the event of accident or illness, would allow social workers to access their plan for Jennifer's care. Enable Scotland is working with the branch network in Dumfries and Galloway to encourage the local authority to implement emergency planning in the area.

The Russells are just glad Enable has been there for them.