IHC confronts 'huge issue' of disabled living longer

Better medical care means intellectually disabled New Zealanders are living longer, raising questions about how their changing needs will be met and who will care for them.

In 1931, the life expectancy of an intellectually disabled person living in an institution was 22 years.

In 1993 it was 66 and continues to become more comparable to life expectancy for the general population, particularly in Otago, where 32 per cent of IHC service users are over 50.

IHC national manager of specialist services Sharon Brandford described the ageing population as a "celebration coming en masse", but also a huge issue for the organisation.

Significant improvements in access to healthcare and treatment of problems that had often resulted in early death had enabled the intellectually disabled to live longer.

In 2000, about 600 IHC service users were over 50. In September last year that had increased to more than 1300, or 24 per cent of all users.

While branches used to deal with individual cases, the numbers now warranted a change to national operations, Ms Brandford said.

The IHC was already adapting by making daily routines more flexible and providing more in-home support and transport help, she said.

Better access to occupational therapists to teach safe household practices would also be required.

In areas which had limited suitable public transport, enormous pressure was being put on IHC transport resources, she said.

"These people want to stay in their own places as long as they can ... in order to do that, we are trying to seek access to good health support."

Ms Brandford said district health boards were already dealing with the wider community issue of the baby boomer generation, so money was tight.

However, if more was not provided, ageing disabled people would be placed in care facilities not well adapted to those with learning disabilities.

Conversations were being started with the Government, DHBs and age-related lobby groups to raise awareness of the issue, she said.

"While some of the pressures are not unique to people with disabilities, they are particularly problematic for them. A loss of ease of access to family, community services and social networks has a profound effect on these people."

Another move IHC would make was to open up a dialogue with service users and their families.

Pact Otago's supported accommodation manager, Thomas Cardy, said the organisation faced the same problem with "some really high-needs and complex clients".

It supported 158 Otago people with an intellectual disability, 44 of whom were over 50, and was finding it increasingly difficult to support them. One move was a house specifically for older clients.

Mr Cardy said limited beds in resthomes with staff able to support people with intellectual disabilities meant Pact workers were taking the role of elderly-care support workers but funding levels did not recognise that.

- OTAGO DAILY TIMES