A LOOK AT FUNCTIONAL LOSSES IN THE ELDERLY POPULATION WITH INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES

Abstract

Elderly people with intellectual disabilities face unique challenges and need specialized support to ensure their physical, emotional, and social well-being. Institutions that support elderly people with intellectual disabilities deal with the weakening of family relationships when faced with the aging and exhaustion of parents and/or guardians. To understand the reality of adults and elderly people with intellectual disabilities, during the COVID-19 pandemic, institutions in the city of São Paulo that are active in the Forum for the Aging of Elderly People with Intellectual Disabilities (FEPIDI) in the period 2020-2022, an exploratory research of a qualitative and descriptive nature was developed, covering 198 elderly people with intellectual disabilities. The Forum on Aging for Seniors with Intellectual Disabilities was formed in 2009 with representatives from several institutions in the city of São Paulo that serve people with intellectual disabilities in adulthood and the aging process. Its objective is to collect data, prepare and disseminate information on the aging of people with intellectual disabilities, and encourage reflection on public policies and care protocols that can favor the guarantee of rights, autonomy, and quality of life for seniors with intellectual disabilities and their families. The study presented by FEDIPI highlights the cognitive vulnerability of an elderly population with intellectual disabilities, especially aggravated by conditions of panic, stress, and isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic. The analysis addressed different areas, such as language, memory, reasoning, and perception, among others, highlighting the challenges faced by this population.