I was surprised by the amount of material I found on aging with a disability. There were a wide variety of topics from growing older with cerebral palsy to aging with physical, mental, visual, hearing and intellectual or developmental disabilities. There was information on various issues from policies and best practices to quality of life issues such as self-determination, independence, aging with dignity, and decision-making.
One web site had an interesting article about people with learning disabilities being misplaced in older people's homes, which resulted in them living with much older and more incapacitated people. (Go here for the article: http://www.learningdisabilities.org.uk/page.cfm?pagecode=PRAROB).
Disability Resources, one of the best sites, I visited included information on aging with mental retardation and developmental disabilities. This site touched on physical fitness and dealing with changes in vision and hearing.
What did I learn ?
1.Like everyone else, people with disabilities can expect some further decline in their abilities with age. Although my disability is not as severe as my friend’s and I am several years younger, I have already noticed subtle changes in my physical abilities. This has been most evident in my inability to lift my left leg high enough while walking, causing me to stumble more often and, in some cases, fall. Then, after I have fallen, I have noticed getting up is not as easy as it used to be. Compounding this is the fact that my balance is not what it once was, which also leads to falls.
2. The more research I did, the more I realized I should become more aware of my overall physical health. I realized I needed to get a complete physical, as I have not had one done for 15 – 20 years. I also should select a primary care physician. I very seldom go to a doctor so I do not have “my own” doctor. Like most Native Americans who grew up on reservations, I have a fear and distrust of doctors due to my negative experiences with them at our Indian Health Services clinic. (That’s another story.)
Lessons Learned