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The baby boom
began shortly after World War ll. In 1995, early baby boomers were
50 years of age. Developmental service providers noticed that the
support needs of people in their forties and fifties were changing
because of the normal aging process. These changes were more dramatic
among people with Down Syndrome due to the early and more prevalent
onset of dementia.
Reena, a leader in innovative service delivery, began to study
the effects of aging among the older adults in its programs. In
1998, Reena submitted a proposal to Health Canada for a Symposium
on Aging and Developmental Disabilities. The symposium would offer
an opportunity for service providers, planning bodies and regulatory
agencies in developmental services and long term care to learn more
about the aging process and its potential impact on service delivery.
In 1998, a Symposium Planning Committee was formed with representation
from long term care, developmental services and the academic community.
Funding from Health Canada and the work of the committee culminated
in a symposium on June 21 1999. Its objectives were to:
- Learn from experts and researchers about current findings and
information on aging and developmental disabilities.
- Learn about the key sectors who support older adults and seniors
with developmental disabilities.
- Identify issues facing each of these sectors and their respective
strengths to respond.
- Explore ways of working together.
One hundred and thirty four senior administrators registered for
the symposium, with an equal number from each of the developmental
services and long term care sectors. A day of learning from the
experts and of dialogue among the participants confirmed the need
for an ongoing process of dialogue and partnership.
A Forum on Aging and Developmental Disabilities was conceived to
provide for this ongoing process. The forum subsequently identified
its Mission: "To ensure that the general
and specific needs of aging, as experienced by people with developmental
disabilities living in Ontario, are identified and addressed effectively".
This Mission is guided by the Forum’s Vision: That elderly
individuals with a developmental disability have the same rights
to supports and services as other elderly individuals in the community.
These supports should follow the principles of choice, access, creative
options and individualized planning.
The Forum has subsequently evolved into the Ontario
Partnership on Aging and Developmental Disabilities (OPADD).
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