Growing older

People with Down's syndrome are now living longer with an average life expectancy of 50 to 60 years. There are some people with Down's syndrome who are living into their 70s and 80s.

For all of us, getting older is associated with many changes, both biological and social. There is evidence to suggest that people with Down's syndrome may begin to have some of the health problems associated with ageing and that they tend to slow down sooner than the general population.

A person with Down's syndrome will experience many of the same challenges of ageing as the rest of us; becoming an aunt or uncle, retiring, bereavement and changes in their parent's health. It is important to remember that people with Down's syndrome are not static. They will continue learning from life experiences and developing as individual adults. As people with Down's syndrome age their needs, wants and desires will change too.

As people with learning disabilities are living longer, many parents or siblings in their later years find themselves caring for a dependent adult. They may need support in planning for what will happen to the person with learning disabilities once they die, or can no longer care for that person. They may also be unaware of the services that are now available to help them, or may be reluctant to try them if they have had negative experiences of statutory services in the past.

In recognition of this issue, the Down's Syndrome Association, Help the Aged and Respond have come together to highlight the support services that they each provide for people in these situations.

The Older Carers Project aims to equip GPs, nurses, pharmacists and professionals in older people's services with the information and resources to identify and reach out to vulnerable older families living with learning disability.

The Project also encourages these professionals to pass on the contact details of the relevant organisations when older carers come to them with specialist issues.

This unique collaboration between 3 voluntary sector organisations means that each charity brings a different skill base, knowledge and experience of supporting either people with learning disabilities or older people.