Ageing and intellectual disability in Israel: a study to compare community residence with living at home

The present study was conducted to compare ageing phenomena in people with intellectual disabilities aged 40 years and above living in community residences (n = 29) with those living with their families (n = 31). The goals were to compare the health status between the two types of settings, to compare the health status between the study sample and the general Israeli population of the same age group, and to investigate whether deterioration occurs among the participants in activities of daily living (ADLs), cognitive ability and leisure activity. Health problems had already appeared by 40 years of age among the participants. The most frequent problems were visual impairment (33%), hearing impairments (20%) and heart problems (20%). Dental problems were found in 30%. The community-based residence group displayed more medical problems than people living at home, whereas individuals living at home had more dental problems. The functioning of the participants in the ADL areas was high, with no evident decline reported during the previous 5 years. Concerning leisure time, a decline in functioning in both residential groups was observed, and interestingly, the scores for social life and leisure activities were better for the community-based residential group. There is a need for better dental service provision for people with intellectual disabilities living at home. The data provided in the current study can serve as a preliminary base for the development of geriatric services for older adults with intellectual disabilities in the community and also provide a basis for further comparison with peers in the general population.