Supporting Changing Needs Through the End of Life for Adults with Disabilities in Residential Settings
Behavior Safety and Clinical Practice in Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities
Maggie Haag, MEd, BCBA, LSW, CDE®
Heather Hirst, PT, DPT
Aaron Emmons, MS
Everyone changes with aging, often in invisible ways. You may be surprised to learn that beginning at age 25, there is a slow decline in speed, reasoning, spatial skills, and memory (Salthouse, 2009). At the age of 30, there is a 3-8% loss of muscle mass per decade (Volpi, 2004). By the age of 65, a person has lost approximately 20% of their muscle mass. Our senses, including smell, hearing, and vision, begin to decline around the age of 50. This aging process is accelerated in individuals with disabilities. This extends to a heightened vulnerability to several serious conditions.
