Aging with intellectual disabilities: a study in Portugal about clinical conditions, functionality, and frailty

The life expectancy of people with intellectual disabilities (ID) has increased more than that of the general population, demanding a deeper understanding of their health profiles to inform tailored healthy aging interventions. This study aimed to characterize persons with ID aged ≥ 45 years in terms of clinical conditions (degree of ID, comorbidities, and medication), malnutrition risk, functional capacity and frailty. To our knowledge, this is the first study to address this topic in Portugal. A cross-sectional, descriptive-correlational design was used, with a non-probability convenience sampling of 234 individuals with ID aged ≥ 45 years. Questionnaires were completed by organizational mediators, achieving a response rate of 18.5%. The mean age was 53.32 years; 56.4% were male, 97.9% were single, and 98.3% had no children. The main findings are as follows: (i) degree of ID: 52.1% moderate, 25.6% severe, 15% mild and 7.3% profound; (ii) high prevalence of comorbidities; (iii) 38.9% were on five or more medicines (polypharmacy); (iv) 44.9% were at risk of malnutrition and 4.7% were malnourished; (v) 23.1% had total or severe dependence in basic activities of daily living; (vi) 85.5% were severely and 14.5% were moderately dependent in instrumental activities of daily living; and (vii) 46.3% were classified as being frail. Older adults with ID seemed to present complex clinical conditions that required a higher intensity of support. These findings contribute to the continuous development of a model of care tailored to older people with ID, particularly healthy aging interventions.