Innovative model of a multicultural aging day program servicing individuals who are intellectually disabled

Life expectancy in individuals with intellectual disabilities (ID) has increased by almost 250% since the 1930s – from 19 to 70 years. WHO recognizes the growing population of aging adults with ID and their needs. Healthy Ageing-Adults With Intellectual Disabilities (2000) outlines the key issues facing aging adults with ID - including the issue of health practitioners failing to recognize special problems experienced by older persons with ID, and the dearth of supportive services for those individuals. People with ID tend to age more rapidly than their non-ID peers, and this increases their risk for obesity, depression, cardiovascular disease, and decreased mobility at a relatively early age – starting around 40-50 years of age. We aim to develop and implement a program to increase and strengthen healthy lifestyle supports for older adults with disabilities. Twenty individuals who are 40 years or older and currently attend our Day Habilitation program for individuals 18 and over will be selected to participate in our pilot aging program. We will create a curriculum that includes age-appropriate exercise, other age appropriate activities geared toward older individuals with ID, along with a staff training curriculum in which staff are taught the key issues in working with an older population with ID. After the pilot phase has ended, we will write our finalized curriculum in a handbook for training purposes and use it as a model for our community partners.