Autism in Old Age

Autism is a condition that many have trouble coping with. When you’re small, you are lucky in the sense you have your parents, guardians or teachers looking out for you and making sure you’re doing ok. However, what does this condition mean for the elderly?

In fact, not a lot is known about autism in the elderly as studies tend to focus on children dealing with the condition, but the care and treatment through the ages is always necessary.

The Autistic population have to deal with the ageing process, pensions and health just like the rest of the elderly population, but with intellectual and learning difficulties on top. How can we help people affected by this situation?

• Many elderly people are living with Autism without realising it. For this reason it’s important for all elderly people to be checked and assessed by medical professionals to see if they suffer from the symptoms which include difficulty in social interaction, inability to speak if it is low-functioning autism and a lack of empathy. Some are able to live and work independently without much help but others cannot so it is important to discover early on who needs the most assistance.

• Supported living – Supported living is where a person lives in their own home but cannot cope with some of the everyday tasks that they need to live completely independently. This is where carers or trained medical professionals come in and help clean, cook and administer medicine. For those living with autism, this supported living helps them live in a familiar environment as well getting the help they need.

This is especially true of people living with low-functioning autism where they have difficulty speaking. Autism care is provided then to help people living with this condition cope. It should be noted that people with high-functioning autism usually have higher-than-average intelligence but lack common sense or ‘street smarts’ for living independently – another reason why supported living is so important; it helps those with autism stay safe and secure in their own home without having their independence compromised.

• Support Groups – While most elderly people enjoy socialising in large groups, for those with autism it is much more of a necessity. Social groups are greatly therapeutic for those with autism and they have the opportunity to take part in creative and innovative past-times like painting, crafts and music. This helps them maintain strong social bonds with others which they would otherwise have difficulty with as autism sufferers have great difficulty maintain social relationships. Social groups allow them to interact without pressure and frustration.

Autism care for the elderly is extremely important as they age and go about their lives. While there is still a great amount of research to be done about how the condition affects them in their elder years, with people to go to for support and access to the right treatments and therapies there is no reason why those with autism can’t enjoy their golden years like the rest of them.

This article was written by James Harper on behalf of Voyage, who provide autism care and supported living services.

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