Search results for ‘Subject term:"learning disabilities"’ Sort:
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Transition to old age - what can we do to aid the process?
- Author:
- DODD Karen
- Journal article citation:
- Advances in Mental Health and Learning Disabilities, 2(3), September 2008, pp.7-12.
- Publisher:
- Emerald
This article looks at how people with learning disabilities, including people with learning disabilities who develop dementia, make the transition to old age. It identifies key issues in understanding the transition to old age for people with learning disabilities, including how the ageing process may be different for this group, lack of agreement as to what constitutes old age for people with learning disabilities, the heterogeneity that might help make the transition easier for people.
Working with older people with learning disabilities: lessons from an Age Concern pilot programme
- Author:
- AGE CONCERN
- Publisher:
- Age Concern
- Publication year:
- 2008
- Pagination:
- 13p.
- Place of publication:
- London
Seeks to develop an understanding of the ageing process, to develop the knowledge and skills required to assess and define the changing needs of people with learning disabilities as they get older and to enhance the quality of life for older people with learning disabilities.
Living on the edge: enabling older owner occupiers with moderate learning disabilities to live independently
- Author:
- EASTERBROOK Lorna
- Publisher:
- Care and Repair England
- Publication year:
- 2008
- Pagination:
- 41p., bibliog.
- Place of publication:
- Nottingham
Increasing numbers of older people with moderate or mild learning disabilities live independently in their own homes - but some are facing crises that limit their abilities to continue to do so. This report looks at the situation facing older owner occupiers who: live in homes needing urgent repairs and/or adaptations; have reached a point of crisis at home; lack some comprehension, or have behavioural difficulties, that adversely affect their abilities to manage their everyday lives; are living in complex situations; or are facing the likelihood of crises recurring in the future.
Relationship between diagnostic criteria, depressive equivalents and diagnosis of depression among older adults with intellectual disability
- Authors:
- LANGLOIS L., MARTIN L.
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Intellectual Disability Research, 52(11), November 2008, pp.896-904.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
This study uses the interRAI ID assessment instrument to investigate the relationship between standard diagnostic criteria for depression, depressive equivalents and a diagnosis of depression among older and younger adults with ID in community and institutional settings in Ontario, Canada. Items in the interRAI ID assessment instrument that were representative of The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders 4th Edition (DSM-IV) criteria and depressive equivalents were examined among persons with ID in institutional (census-level data) and in community-based (sample) residential settings. Bivariate logistic regression was used to examine the relationship between depressive symptoms and a diagnosis of depression. Descriptive statistics were used to examine the prevalence of depressive symptoms among those who did not have a diagnosis of depression. The results indicate that DSM-IV diagnostic criteria and depressive equivalents were significantly related to a diagnosis of depression among older and younger adults with ID, and that both types of symptoms were exhibited by a non-trivial proportion of individuals without a diagnosis of depression. The depression rating scale embedded in the interRAI ID is helpful in identifying older adults at risk of depression. Contrary to other studies, few significant differences were found in depressive symptoms by age.
Self-styled success
- Authors:
- HENWOOD Melanie, DAVIS Rowenna
- Journal article citation:
- Community Care, 24.04.08, 2008, pp.16-18.
- Publisher:
- Reed Business Information
Putting People First made clear that self-directed support is to become mainstream In this article, the first author describes what self-directed care entails. The second author then describes the work of four teams given awards for innovative and impressive practice in Community Care's Excellence programme.
Relationship between mobility limitations and the places where older adults with intellectual disabilities live
- Authors:
- CLEAVER Shaun, OUELLETTE-KUNTZ Helene, HUNTER Duncan
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Policy and Practice in Intellectual Disabilities, 5(4), December 2008, pp.253-258.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
As the population ages, mobility limitations are associated with increased mortality and negative health-related states both in the general population and among people with intellectual disabilities. The influence of mobility limitations upon the lives and lifestyles of people with intellectual disabilities remains poorly understood. Specifically, the extent to which mobility limitations might limit residential options for individuals and families has not been evaluated. To determine the relationship between mobility limitations and place of residence for adults with intellectual disabilities, age 45 and older, a proxy-response telephone survey was completed for 128 adults with intellectual disabilities in Southeastern Ontario. A participant's place of residence was categorized as being "high support" (group homes and nursing homes) or "low support" (living alone, with family, roommates, or host family). People with a score of 12 or less on the Rivermead Mobility Index were considered to have a mobility limitation. The relationship between mobility limitations and high-support residential settings was analyzed using a multivariate logistic regression model. After adjusting for age, sex, and presence of cerebral palsy, communication problems and behaviour problems, people with mobility problems had 3.6 times greater odds of living in high-support settings. Authors concluded that mobility limitations are associated with residence in "high-support" settings and that further investigation is needed to determine the direction of causality and to create programs and services that equalize opportunities.
Physical training and well-being in older adults with mild intellectual disability: a residential care study
- Authors:
- CARMELI Eli, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities, 21(5), September 2008, pp.457-465.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
Exercise is important for health and well-being. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of physical training on general well-being and self-image in older people with intellectual disability. This study evaluated older adults with intellectual disability in residential care in Israel. The concept of well-being perceived by the participants was measured by direct interview with a questionnaire consisting of 37 structural statements. The physical training programme was conducted three times a week for 10 consecutive months. Statistical analyses suggested a positive relationship between perceived well-being and physical training between the experimental and control group. This positive relation supports the important role of physical training to improve perceived well-being among older adults with intellectual disability.
Characterisation of user-defined health status in older adults with intellectual disabilities
- Authors:
- STARR J. M., MARSDEN L.
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Intellectual Disability Research, 52(6), June 2008, pp.483-489.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
Older adults with Intellectual Disabilities (ID) have an excess disease burden that standard health assessments are designed to detect. Older adults with ID have a broader concept of health with dimensions of well being in addition to absence of disease in line with the World Health Organization's health definition. This study sought to characterise user-defined health status in a sample of older adults with ID. A user-led health assessment was administered to 57 adults with ID aged 40 years and over. Cluster analysis on user-defined health themes of participation, nutrition and hygiene/self-care identified clear separation of participants into a healthier and a less healthy group. Disease burden and medication use were greater in the less healthy group. The healthier group were taller, stronger and had better vision than the less healthy group. Constipation, urinary incontinence and faecal incontinence were commoner in the less healthy group. There were few significant differences between health groups on the majority of standard physical-examination items. There is considerable overlap between user-defined health and that assessed by standard instruments. In addition, user-defined health encompasses aspects of physical fitness not captured by traditional disease-based health models.
A survey of people with intellectual disabilities living in residential aged care facilities in Victoria
- Authors:
- BIGBY C., et al
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Intellectual Disability Research, 52(5), May 2008, pp.404-414.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
This study describes the distribution and characteristics of people with ID in residential aged care in Victoria, provides insights into the pathways they take into aged care, and gives some indications of how facilities adapt to their needs. A postal survey was sent to 826 residential aged care facilities in Victoria, seeking information from directors about their residents with ID. Facilities that responded were fairly representative of all facilities in Victoria. Residents with ID were younger, had entered at an earlier age and remained longer than other residents. Their reported dependency profile was similar to the general aged care population, although the incidence of dementia was lower. Primary areas of concern identified by providers were: inability to fit into the resident community, lack of participation in activities and lack of meaningful relationships. This study provides a first glimpse into how older people with ID find their way into aged care and how others view their experiences once there. It suggests that further investigation is required into the accuracy of assessment undertaken prior to entry to more clearly understand whether residents with ID are inappropriately placed in residential aged as a result of a shortage of disability accommodation and inadequate resources to support aging in place for those in such accommodation.
Beset by obstacles: a review of Australian policy development to support ageing in place for people with intellectual disability
- Author:
- BIGBY Christine
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Intellectual and Developmental Disability, 33(1), March 2008, pp.76-86.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
Australian government policy regards people with intellectual disability (ID) as citizens with equal rights, which means that they should have access to the same opportunities as the wider community. Ageing in place is central to aged care policy in Australia for the general population. This paper reviews policy to support the provision of similar opportunities to age in place for people with ID, and the reasons for its slow development. Due to lifestyle patterns earlier in the life course, many people with ID experience a mid-life disruption to their accommodation, and may live in a group home as they age or may move prematurely to residential aged care. The absence of mechanisms to adjust disability funding as needs change, and the existence of policy that denies residents in group homes access to community-based aged care, forces disability services to “go it alone” to support ageing in place. Despite a national priority to improve the interface between the disability and aged care sectors, administrative and funding characteristics continue to obstruct the development of implementation strategies to support ageing in place for people with ID, which remain at the stage of an exploration of the issues.