| Summary: | Over the next 20 years the number of people living to over 65 is expected to rise by 16%, with the greatest proportional increase being in those over 80 (Audit Commission, 2000). These current demographic trends are challenging those responsible for planning the future pattern of health and social care as well as its financial sustainability. This trend is not exclusive to the general population with evidence of these demographic changes being mirrored in the intellectual disabilities population. Improvements in standard of living and access to medical treatments have resulted in better health and enhanced longevity for people with intellectual disabilities (PWID) (Hatzidimitriadou & Milne, 2005). The ramifications of these statistics are increasing challenges for policymakers and services providers to meet the changing health and social care needs of this cohort. This review paper will focus on the issues facing professionals when attempting to meet the needs of this ageing intellectual disability cohort such as assessing dementia as well as explore how services are meeting the needs of older adults in the general population for example, memory clinics and person centred dementia care. Finally an area of older adult work that has been explored in depth in the older adult literature, namely the disclosure of a dementia diagnosis will be discussed. The paper concludes that both ID and older adult services have independently advanced the knowledge on neuropathological and psychosocial dimensions of dementia yet have failed to engage in cross cutting dialogue to share their research findings, impeding the development of a universal approach to ageing.
|
|---|
