The nature of leisure in the lives of older adults with intellectual disability.

Jones et al. (1998) talked with older adults who have intellectual disability.

They asked how the adults spend free time and who picks the activity.

The study used open interviews so people could describe their day in their own words.

Almost every participant said staff or family choose the activity.

Very few could name a leisure moment they picked themselves.

Age-related limits like poor vision or walking pain made choices even smaller.

Fesko et al. (2012) and Sasson et al. (2018) later showed the same gap.

They found day programs rarely offer leisure menus after work ends.

Starke (2013) seems to disagree: young adults with ID reported high leisure joy.

The gap is about age, not method. Young adults still live with parents who create fun chances.

Older adults often live in staffed homes where schedules are fixed, so choice vanishes.

If you run or work in an adult day or residential program, add a daily "choice board."

List three possible leisure slots and let each client point, speak, or use a switch to pick.

This tiny step turns passive time into self-determined life, exactly what the elders in Jones et al. (1998) said was missing.