Before she died at age 96 last spring, my grandmother used to tell me, “I didn’t mean to get this old.” My response usually was, “And there’s nothing either of us can do about it.”
If you live long enough, you will grow old. Likewise, in the disability arena, those of us without significant disabilities describe ourselves as “temporarily abled.” Disability, like age, is apt to strike, even if simply in the form of a skiing accident that lands us on crutches for a few weeks. The older you get, the more likely you are to develop a disability.
The good news is that the prevalence of disability in older Americans may be decreasing. One study from Duke University showed that between 1982 and 1999, the prevalence of physical disability in seniors dropped from 26 to 20 percent. Indications are that the trend has continued into the new millennium. However, while the percentage may have decreased, the number of people living into old age (particularly 85 and older) is increasing.
As a result of these trends, the systems that serve the aging population and systems that serve people with disabilities have begun to look to each other for lessons and collaboration. Whether a person is aging or experiencing a disability, if the goal for that person is to stay independent in his or her home, the strategies to accomplish this may be the same.
Though local communities have long crossed these lines (here I have to brag about La Plata County, where organizations that serve seniors and organizations that serve people with disabilities have been communicating and coordinating for years), changes now are happening at the federal level to support those local efforts. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services officially established the Administration for Community Living in April 2012, for the first time bringing together the Administration on Aging and the Administration on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities under one umbrella.
One of the main goals of this new Administration for Community Living is to address the need for long term services and supports. Disabilities services across the U.S. already have been saddled by huge waiting lists for the services and supports to help people live successfully in their homes. As the baby boomers age, the currently available services for seniors likewise will be unable to keep up with the demand. Alternatives to nursing facilities are needed for people who do not need that intensive level of care. By working together on solutions to long-term community supports, the aging and disability communities can draw strength from each population’s strengths and previous successes.
The projects of the ACL already are reaching into La Plata County in the form of local programs to help interested people explore options for transitioning out of nursing homes (Colorado Choice Transitions) and resource and referral for seniors and people with disabilities through the ARCH (Adult Resources for Care and Help).
More information about Colorado Choice Transitions is available at Southwest Center for Independence at 259-1672 or Community Connections at 259-2464. Contact the local ARCH at 382-6445.
Tara Kiene is the director of case management with Community Connections Inc.
