Aging among persons with intellectual disability in Israel in relation to type of residence, age, and etiology.
Adults with ID hit aging health problems earlier—screen eyes, ears, and teeth by 40.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Researchers visited adults with intellectual disability across Israel. They asked about eyesight, hearing, teeth, daily tasks, and social life.
The team compared people living with families to those in community homes. They wanted to see what aging looks like for this group.
What they found
By age 40, most adults already had vision, hearing, or dental trouble. Daily living skills slipped only a little.
People in community homes joined more clubs and outings than those still with parents.
How this fits with other research
Martin et al. (1997) saw the same pattern in the Netherlands years earlier. Their large cohort also showed high sensory and dementia rates.
Sandberg et al. (2026) later confirmed the pattern with Swedish registry data. They added a twist: cancer rates looked lower, probably because screening is missed.
Petrovic et al. (2016) zoomed in on teeth. They found adults in institutions or with extra disabilities had far more untreated decay. The Israeli snapshot first flagged this gap.
Why it matters
Start vision, hearing, and dental checks before 40. Use plain-chair clinics if transfers are hard. Prioritize clients living at home; they get fewer natural chances to socialize and their teeth may be overlooked. A yearly dental referral can prevent pain that shows up as "behavior.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
This study was conducted to compare aging phenomena of persons with intellectual and developmental disability (ID) aged 40 years and older living in community residence (N = 65) with those living with their families (N = 43) in Jerusalem, Israel. All 108 persons and care givers were interviewed to ascertain health problems, sensory impairment, activity of daily living (ADL), cognitive skills, and leisure activities. Health problem had already developed by age 40 years. The most frequent were visual (33%), hearing impairments (20%) and dental problems (30%). The community residence group displayed more medical problems, whereas individuals living at home had more dental problems. Health problems in persons with Down syndrome were significantly higher. ADL functioning for all participants was high, but persons with Down syndrome and cerebral palsy had more dependence. A decline in functioning in both residential groups was observed concerning leisure time, but scores for social life leisure activities were better for the community residential group. The data provided in this study can serve as information to develop geriatric services for persons with ID and provide a basis for comparison with peers in the general population in Israel. Dental service to persons with ID living at home should be improved.
Research in developmental disabilities, 2004 · doi:10.1016/j.ridd.2003.05.002