Older adults with an autism diagnosis are a relatively new phenomenon. The first person ever diagnosed with autism, Donald Triplett, is now 87 years old. Donald has lived a full life, graduating from college, working at the family bank, traveling around the world and playing golf. Yet, as we’re “seeing people with developmental disabilities in …
“People love to feel ‘normal,’” says Betty Lefebvre-Hill, MSE, the Fox Valley Memory Project’s Program Coordinator. “They want to get out and have the type of experiences they’ve enjoyed their whole lives, but then felt that they had to put aside. Re-engaging is joyful, and it’s heartwarming to be a part of that.” For an …
How can I communicate effectively with health care providers? What does healthy aging look like? How can I safely stay in my home? These are important questions for anyone. For the growing number of older adults with intellectual disabilities (ID) and their caregivers, they are crucial. More people with ID are living longer, thanks to …
By 2050, just over one-fifth of the U.S. population will be age 65 and older. Medical advances have increased life expectancies worldwide, so we’re not alone. In fact, other countries will see more dramatic changes than the United States expects. Due in part to low fertility rates, one-quarter of China’s population—some 335 million people—will be …
A collaboration that began twelve years ago while Barbara Bowers, PhD, RN, FAAN, associate dean for research and Charlotte Jane and Ralph A. Rodefer Chair at the UW–Madison School of Nursing, was doing research and teaching part of the year in Australia, has blossomed into a globe-spanning partnership between Bowers and Australian Catholic University sociology …