Aging with Special Needs

Disability Scoop ran an article recently focusing on aging issues faced by those with special needs. Aging Poses New Challenges For Those With Special Needs explains the issues that will occur as individuals with special needs age, and need different or additional services.  “In 1983, the average life expectancy for a person with Down syndrome was 25. Today, it’s 65 to 70, fueled largely by the mastery of a surgical procedure that corrects a heart defect present in 1 out of 2 people with Down syndrome ….”  Of course, there are challenges to be overcome, including increasing services and bringing health care providers up to speed. “As the first generation of individuals with disabilities reaches ages not seen before, the medical community is still catching up. Most skilled nursing facilities are still made up of residents without disabilities, so people with disabilities may be better suited to an environment where caregivers are accustomed to taking their special needs into account.” 

The article highlights the need to be forward-thinking and planning ahead.  Not everyone ages the same way at the same speed.  The article focuses on how a person with Downs syndrome might experience aging issues. The “interest in caring for people with disabilities who are aging has been of such concern that the [National Down Syndrome Society] compiled an “Aging and Down Syndrome” guide in 2013. Since then, the guide has been requested tens of thousands of times, in both English and Spanish ….”