Challenge of ageing with disability

Ageing is part of life but for people with a disability there are often barriers when it comes to accessing aged care.

IRT Remuneration and Benefits Advisor, Heather Marciano, studied this issue and co-presented her research with University of Wollongong (UOW) researchers Professor Patrick Dawson and Associate Professor Michael Zanko at the Australian and New Zealand Academy of Management (ANZAM) conference in New Zealand last December.

The ANZAM delegates were interested in the evolving issues for ageing people with disability and their ageing parent/carers, and the challenges these issues created for organisations.

Joining presenters from around the world, Ms Marciano conveyed her research which found people with intellectual disabilities often show the signs of ageing earlier than the general population.

“With access to Aged CareServices based on chronological age, people with disability may be considered ineligible if they are not ‘over 65 and assessed as frail aged’,” she told DPS News.

“I looked at the difficulties ageing parent carers face when they have an ageing son or daughter with intellectual disability. As a person with disability ages, there is often a lack of age appropriate support available within the disability sector, yet ageing people with disability may not meet the criteria to access aged care services.

“It then falls to the ageing parent/carers to provide higher levels of care at a time when their own ageing care needs are increasing. So what happens to the son or daughter when their parent carer passes away?” Ms Marciano asked.

One big question, according to Ms Marciano, was what the government could do to address these issues in terms of cross sector funding.

“Government needs to support disability and aged care sector partnerships to address current barriers,” she said.

Ms Marciano added there was a need for a well-planned and supported transition from disability services into aged care services for ageing people with intellectual disability, and a need to properly prepare staff through combined disability/aged care education and training.

Organisations like IRT could consider creating a joint Aged Care and Disability Certificate III course to meet the emerging needs of its workforce.

With passion the driving force behind Ms Marciano’s research efforts, she said the project allowed her to dissect an “emerging issue… with a view to making a difference”.