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

• Formal national organizations including the American Association on Intellectual and
Developmental Disabilities, the Gerontological Society of America, the Association of
University Centers on Disabilities (AUCD), the International Association for the
Scientific Study of Intellectual Disabilities, and the American Society on Aging
established formal interest groups in aging and developmental disabilities.
• The 1986 Wingspread Conference on Aging and Developmental Disabilities brought
together directors of state DD agencies and state units on aging to explore opportunities
for bridging the service systems. However, the conference did not produce any long-term
results due to the (politically linked) high turnover of directors in both agencies. 27
• The 1987 reauthorization of the Developmental Disabilities Act (P.L. 100-146) included
two provisions that recognized the aging of adults with developmental disabilities as a
priority. UCEDDs were able to apply for grant supplements to their core funding to train
personnel in the age-related needs of adults with developmental disabilities as one of
three areas of emerging national significance. State developmental disability council
membership was expanded to include the State Unit on Aging.
• Several provisions were incorporated in the 1987 reauthorization of the Older Americans
Act (P.L. 100-175) to foster collaboration between the aging and developmental
disabilities service systems. Older persons with a severe disability were designated as a
service priority, and the definition of “severe disability” was identical to the functional
definition of developmental disability in the 1978 amendments of the Developmental
Disabilities Act (P.L. 95-602). The AoA also was authorized to establish a
multidisciplinary gerontology center with special emphasis on disability including people
with severe disabilities. The Commissioner of AoA was authorized to consult with the
Commissioner of ADD on the administration of the DD Act and the Older Americans Act
with an emphasis on community-based alternatives to long-term care. State and area
agency on aging plans were to include older people with severe disabilities as a service
priority. The state unit on aging long-term care ombudsman program was required to
coordinate ombudsman services with the Protection and Advocacy agency for people
with developmental disabilities. Disabled dependent adults under the age of 60 were
allowed to be served at nutrition site programs when accompanied by an eligible older
caregiver.
• In 1988 the Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA) (now CMS) included an
Active Treatment objective to minimize skill regression due to aging.
• The 1992 Amendments to the Older Americans Act targeted outreach to older parents
caring for an adult son or daughter with developmental disabilities at home and
authorized Title IV funding for training and demonstration projects to address the needs
of older adults with developmental disabilities and older family caregivers.
• In 1989 ADD and AoA executed a Memorandum of Agreement 28 (Appendix 3) to
discuss and develop joint initiatives to improve the coordination of their programs and
Bridging the Aging and Developmental Disabilities Service Networks Page 20