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Centre for Policy on Ageing | |
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The elderly with a learning disability (mental retardation)
— an overview | | Author(s) | Jane M McCarthy, Eleanor Mullan |
| Journal title | International Psychogeriatrics, vol 8, no 3, Fall 1996 |
| Pages | pp 489-501 |
| Keywords | Cognitive impairment ; Demography ; Self care capacity ; Mental disorder ; Health [elderly] ; Services ; Literature reviews. |
| Annotation | There has been a considerable growth of interest in older people with a learning disability (LD), due in part to the increase in their life expectancy. This article reviews the literature, focusing on demographic data, functional abilities, mental health, physical health, and service use. Older people with learning difficulties will have high health and social care needs; and they share with their normally-ageing peers the problems of ageing: age-related infirmities of dementia, sensory impairment, urinary incontinence, and poor mobility. They develop psychiatric disorders that remain unrecognised and untreated. Some are cared for by ageing parents who may also be frail and have serious health problems. Further research is required on the quality of life, successful indicators of ageing, and guidance on the type of service that will meet the needs of this group. (RH). |
| Accession Number | CPA-980303275 A |
| Classmark | E4: S8: CA: E: CC: I: 64A |
Data © Centre for Policy on Ageing |
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| ...from the Ageinfo database published by Centre for Policy on Ageing. |
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