Assistive technology and walking aid use by intellectually disabled older people in a residential care center

Abstract

Older people with intellectual disability (ID) often require assistive technology to promote independence in their daily lives. Objective'. To describe the degree of the use of assistive technology and walking aids by older people with ID. Study group: All permanent residents over the age of 50 years living in two different residential care centers in Israel. Methods·. Cross-sectional investigation generating data on: type of assistive devices (e.g., wheel-chair, walker, cane, orthopedic shoes, splint, brace, hearing aid, artificial teeth), mode and reason for use were inspected. Results: The majority of participants (>70%) used orthopedic shoes, and 53% used frame or cane for gait. The overall frequency of outdoor use was much greater than that for indoor use, and most participants (81%) used it more than 50% of all time. Of participants who used a gait aid (walker, cane) (n = 16) the majority (85%-90%) used it appropriately and satisfactory. The main reason for using the assistive device was to improve standing balance, gait stability, and enhancing daily activities and functions. The degree of fitting a hearing aid, eye glasses, and prosthetic/artificial teeth was quite disappointing and altogether, only 20%-35% of the subjects practically used them. Conclusions: Caregivers must not only provide for assistive device needs but also consider a mechanism to ensure that people with ID will be able to access and use the equipment they need to promote independence and quality of life in their daily lives appropriately.

Aging, exercise and persons with intellectual disability

“…One explanation for such an exception is that people with ID require special attention for their healthy lifetime needs, including assistive devices for physical activity. According to our prior study (8), the evidence indicates that the majority of older people with ID use different assistive devices in different ways and for different reasons, yet a strong relation between active and healthy lifestyle has been recognized. Therefore, an increase in quality of life in the population of individuals with ID should be expected.…”