Foreword

I am pleased to provide a brief foreword for the new and updated guide, Aging With A Developmental Disability: Planning For Success.

This Guide is a timely resource that should serve us in good stead as our population continues to age. Older age will certainly require planning that takes a cooperative approach involving the person, family members, and various health and social services. The onset of dementia experienced by some adults with developmental disabilities will also likely lead to the need to be prepared for conversations and planning sooner than anticipated.

Over time, the care and support needed by an individual travels and shifts between and across the people and services involved, whether the person remains living in their home or moves elsewhere. How the person’s plan is interpreted and enacted should be carefully conveyed. As one research participant stated “Having a plan. That’s the main thing. Planning is great. It’s not easy, but planning and doing it is two different things.”

This Guide offers cross service sector knowledge and resources to better support individuals and families to create and implement plans with positive outcomes.

January, 2020
Nancy Jokinen, MSW, PhD
Adjunct Professor, UNBC School of Social Work
NTG-Canadian Consortium on Intellectual Disabilities and Dementia
Steering Committee Member National Task Group on Intellectual Disabilities and Dementia Practices (NTG)

Please feel free to review the full version of this foreword with citations in a later section of the Guide, Transition Planning – The Current Context.