Bridging the Aging and Developmental Disabilities Service ... - rrtcadd

We expanded our analysis to include testimony on mid-life adulthood and support issues because
of the potential overlap with aging concerns. Appendix 2 contains the full report. Following are
stakeholders’ key concerns about old age:
• People with disabilities want to remain in their own home and stay active in their
community by having access to the supports and services necessary to offset age-related
declines in health and function.
• Families want to reduce state waiting lists for developmental disabilities services to
decrease their stress about planning for the future – because supports and services will be
more readily available to meet their relative’s needs and preferences.
• Siblings want support to engage their family in making future plans. As their parents
grow older, siblings increasingly worry about their brother/sister’s future well-being after
parents become infirm or die.
• Families and professionals emphasize the importance of providing health promotion for
people with developmental disabilities and educating health professionals to diagnose and
treat age-related health changes that older adults experience.
• Families and professionals advocate for collaboration between the aging and
developmental disabilities service networks to ensure that people with developmental
disabilities and their families have access to appropriate supports and services to meet
their later life needs.
Developmental Disabilities Service System
DESCRIPTION OF SERVICE NETWORKS
Although the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA, PL 101-476) requires states to
provide special education and services to all children with disabilities through age of 21, there
are no targeted federal entitlements for most community services for people with developmental
disabilities when they exit the public education system. No single federal agency is responsible
for planning and funding community services and supports that address the lifespan needs of
adults with developmental disabilities. The Administration on Developmental Disabilities
(ADD), within the Agency for Children and Families, is responsible for implementing the
Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act (DD Act, P.L.106-402), which was
reauthorized in 2000 and was scheduled to be reauthorized in 2011. The goal of the DD Act is to
establish statewide systems of community services and supports that enhance the selfdetermination
and independence of people with developmental disabilities so they can be
productive and valued members of the community. ADD funds and administers three programs
in each state to foster the development of progressive policies and services and engage people
with developmental disabilities and their families in this process, build and strengthen service
system capacity, and protect the rights of people with developmental disabilities:
Bridging the Aging and Developmental Disabilities Service Networks Page 14