Aging People with Intellectual Disabilities: Current Challenges and Effective Interventions

Life expectancy of adults with intellectual disabilities is lengthening toward that of adults without intellectual disabilities, but daily practice indicates that this aging is relatively often not a healthy aging compared with the general population. There is a lack of a concerted response to ensure that the best possible health and social care is provided for persons with intellectual disabilities in later life. Based on current literature reviews, this paper aims to present information regarding challenging issues in aging people with intellectual disabilities such as demographic characteristics in their aging, physical and mental health problems, and their aging health and social service needs. Finally, this paper reviews integrative service interventions for aging people with intellectual disabilities, which include the people-centered and personal choices approach and caregiver and care professional training, and suggests an integrative health promotion approach as future planning to eliminate the health disparities for aging adults with intellectual disabilities.