Epidemiology of Epilepsy in Older Adults With an Intellectual Disability in Ireland: Associations and Service Implications

Author(s):  
Mary McCarron ◽  
Marie O'Dwyer ◽  
Eilish Burke ◽  
Eimear McGlinchey ◽  
Philip McCallion

Abstract There are limited studies on the prevalence of epilepsy and co-morbid conditions in older adults with an ID. To begin to address this prevalence of epilepsy was estimated for participants in the Intellectual Disability Supplement to the Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing. Associations with demographic variables and co morbid health conditions were examined. It was found that prevalence was high (30.7%); but declined as people aged. Those with epilepsy were less likely to live with family, independently or in community settings, rates of refractory epilepsy were high and, despite medication over half of those with epilepsy still reported experiencing seizures. Given these findings, people with ID and their careers have considerable needs for information about epilepsy management, and for support from specialist ID and epilepsy services.

Author(s):  
Rebecca Bendayan ◽  
Yajing Zhu ◽  
A D Federman ◽  
R J B Dobson

Abstract Background We aimed to examine the multimorbidity patterns within a representative sample of UK older adults and their association with concurrent and subsequent memory. Methods Our sample consisted of 11,449 respondents (mean age at baseline was 65.02) from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA). We used fourteen health conditions and immediate and delayed recall scores (IMRC and DLRC) over 7 waves (14 years of follow up). Latent class analyses were performed to identify the multimorbidity patterns and linear mixed models were estimated to explore their association with their memory trajectories. Models were adjusted by socio-demographics, BMI and health behaviors. Results Results showed 8 classes: Class 1:Heart Disease/Stroke (26%), Class 2:Asthma/Lung Disease (16%), Class 3:Arthritis/Hypertension (13%), Class 4:Depression/Arthritis (12%), Class 5:Hypertension/Cataracts/Diabetes (10%), Class 6:Psychiatric Problems/Depression (10%), Class 7:Cancer (7%) and Class 8:Arthritis/Cataracts (6%). At baseline, Class 4 was found to have lower IMRC and DLRC scores and Class 5 in DLRC, compared to the no multimorbidity group (n=6380, 55.72% of total cohort). For both tasks, in unadjusted models, we found an accelerated decline in Classes 1, 3 and 8; and, for DLRC, also in Classes 2 and 5. However, it was fully attenuated after adjustments. Conclusions These findings suggest that individuals with certain combinations of health conditions are more likely to have lower levels of memory compared those with no multimorbidity and their memory scores tend to differ between combinations. Socio-demographics and health behaviours have a key role to understand who is more likely to be at risk of an accelerated decline.


2018 ◽  
Vol 1 ◽  
pp. 27
Author(s):  
Eimear Cleary ◽  
Philip McCallion ◽  
Mary McCarron

Background: Little information is available on the implications of hearing loss, visual impairment and dual sensory impairment among older adults with an intellectual disability (ID) living in Ireland and this paper aims to address the health concerns associated with sensory impairment among this population.  Methods: A representative sample of 753 persons aged 40 years and older at all levels of ID and full range of residential circumstances from the Intellectual Disability Supplement to the Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (IDS-TILDA) participants were matched with general older population TILDA participants on age, sex and geographic location within Ireland. Demographic data on samples included age, sex, visual impairment (yes/no), hearing impairment (yes/no) and dual sensory impairment (yes/no). For those with intellectual disability (ID) data was also gathered on level of intellectual disability, residence, needing assistance with activities of daily living (ADL) and instrumental activities of daily living, self-rated health, loneliness, doctor’s diagnosis of endocrine disease and of dementia and doctor’s report of two or more chronic health conditions. Bivariate analysis of associations between visual, hearing and dual sensory impairment with the measures of physical and mental health was completed and logistic regression analysis to generate adjusted odds ratios for associations between sensory impairment and physical and mental health conditions. Results: As compared to the matched general population participants, in participants with ID dual sensory impairment was more often associated with poor self-rated health, limitations with two or more ADLs, loneliness and multimorbidity. People with ID were 4.4 times more likely to be multimorbid if they were visually impaired compared with an odds ratio of 2.4 in TILDA participants. Conclusion: Previous studies found significant associations between hearing and visual impairment among older populations. Analysis here also suggests the burden of sensory impairment increases both with ID and then with level of ID


2005 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bruce Reeder ◽  
Karen Chad ◽  
Liz Harrison ◽  
Nigel Ashworth ◽  
Suzanne Sheppard ◽  
...  

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 786-787
Author(s):  
Hyunjin Noh

Abstract This qualitative study explored the impact of pain and discomfort on the lives of cognitively impaired older adults and their caregivers from the caregiver perspective. Forty-three individuals of age 19+, who identified themselves as primary caregiver to a chronically or seriously ill older adult (age 50+) with cognitive impairment, such as Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementia, were recruited at various community settings. Individual, face-to-face interviews were conducted to ask participants how they thought their care-recipient’s pain and discomfort affected the care-recipient’s and the caregiver’s life respectively. Inductive, thematic analysis of interview transcripts revealed several key themes: compromised mobility, limited social interaction or activities, and depressive symptoms in both care-recipients and caregivers; aggravated cognitive decline in care-recipients; and poorer physical health in caregivers. Participants wanted more information on the disease trajectory and available services, particularly home-based therapies and social activities for care-recipients, which provides future program/practice implications.


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