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Defining a National Health Research and Practice Agenda for Older Adults with Intellectual Disabilities
Author(s) -
Davidson Philip W.,
Heller Tamar,
Janicki Matthew P.,
Hyer Kathryn
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
journal of policy and practice in intellectual disabilities
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.592
H-Index - 30
eISSN - 1741-1130
pISSN - 1741-1122
DOI - 10.1111/j.1741-1130.2004.04001.x
Subject(s) - gerontology , intellectual disability , mental health , health care , public health , medicine , healthy aging , quality of life (healthcare) , psychology , psychiatry , nursing , political science , law
With the increasing number of adults with intellectual disabilities (ID) surviving into old age governments, provider agencies, and practitioners are recognizing the insufficiencies of available information related to the interaction of the aging process with lifelong disability, the incidence of disease and secondary conditions with advancing age, and the means to provide quality medical and health care. These insufficiencies were noted by a World Health Organization report that identified a need for more research on the health of older adults with IDs and reports from two meetings held by United States Public Health Service and the United States Surgeon General that examined health disparities among adults with ID. This paper reports the process and results of the Tampa Scientific Conference on Intellectual Disabilities, Aging, and Health , a meeting held in 2002 specifically to examine health issues germane to older adults with ID. The meeting produced a long‐term research agenda for determining more effective physical and mental health outcomes for aging and older persons with ID and recommendations for aging‐related medical and health surveillance practices that would improve the overall health status of adults with ID.