Caring for Adults with Intellectual Disabilities

Preventative Screening • Preventative Health Recommendations for Adults with Intellectual Disability Brochure • A resource to assist healthcare providers in assuring quality preventative healthcare to adults with ID • Well Chart • A checklist for caregivers to fill out before medical appointments to detect any unmet or appropriate preventative screenings • Goals, progress, and outcomes • Both updated to include the 2014 MHQP Adults Preventative Screening Guidelines • Additional information added on screening certain populations of patients such as Down syndrome individuals that often have multiple common coexisting medical conditions • Both will be used in clinical settings to improve preventative care in the ID population Clerkship Important Lessons & Next Steps • Important for physicians to recognize some medical conditions may present as behavioral changes in patients with ID • Individuals with ID are living to older ages • Greater prevalence of chronic aging conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, heart disease, diabetes, etc. • Below is a checklist for physicians working with aging adults with ID:  Obtain a comprehensive medical, family, and social history  Assess baseline memory using the Test for Severe Impairment  Consider medications, sensory deficits, metabolic disturbances, sleep disorders, seizures, falls, and mental illness as causes of memory dysfunction  Educate caregivers and family members to observe any behavioral or memory changes  For future visits, obtain a description of current function and compare to baseline  Synthesize information and communicate with the patient’s other physicians and healthcare workers • Future goals include creating a systematic electronic model with all of an individual’s healthcare information to ensure quality care at every medical appointment or encounter Acknowledgements We would like to thank all of the individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities who we learned from, the staff at Seven Hills Foundation, Dr. Julie A. Moran, Nancy Best, Sweetheart St. Peter, Dr. Robert Baldor, Dr. Susan Abend and Dr. Paula Ravin, Ellen Renner and the staff at the Wrentham Developmental Center, Ann C. Golub-Victor and the physical therapy volunteers with Special Olympics, Nancy Alterio at the Disabled Persons Protection Commission, Dr. Jill MorrowGorton, Jo Ann Simons at the Cardinal Cushing Center, Elaine Gabovitch, Nate Trull, Patrick Gleason, the LEND Fellows and the staff at the Eunice Kennedy Shriver Center at UMMS, and all other individuals who contributed to our experiences during the Population Health Clerkship. Healthy Athletes FUNfitness • Conducted at the Special Olympics in collaboration with the American Physical Therapy Association • Goals • Assess balance, flexibility, strength, and aerobic fitness • Teach exercises to help improve these areas if needed • Educate athletes and caregivers on importance of overall fitness