People with learning disability, and ageing

Abstract

With the increase in lifespan, age-related mental and physical health problems have become evident in people with learning disability. Owing to the heterogeneity of the population, the nature and extent of age-related changes has not been explored fully. This article describes the mental health problems in older adults with learning disabilities with a focus on dementia, and highlights current evidence-based practice. To date, the main focus of research and service initiatives related to ageing has been on dementia in Down syndrome, despite the fact that a substantial proportion of older people with learning disabilities in general suffer from a variety of health problems. Clinical practice varies considerably within UK, and the link between community learning disability teams and mental health services for older people is not well established in many areas. The clinical challenges are related to a lack of standardized assessment processes and difficulties in carrying out the full range of investigations in some cases. The recently published national guideline on dementia in people with learning disabilities has now set the expected service standards and provides an audit tool against which quality of care can be measured. It is to be hoped that this will encourage the development of a dementia care pathway, removing the barriers in access to services for older people with learning disabilities.