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There is little research comparatively assessing prevalence of pain between older people either with or without intellectual disability. This paper explores health and social factors associated with chronic pain in these two groups. A cross-sectional survey was undertaken in New South Wales and Queensland, Australia. Inclusion criteria were adults either with or without intellectual disability, aged 60 years and older, and currently living in community-settings. Univariate and multivariable analyses were undertaken on a sample of 391 adults with intellectual disability and 920 adults without intellectual disability. Key findings included higher prevalence of pain in the intellectual disability group, along with higher rates of osteoarthritis, falls, oral health problems, and mood disorders. Mitigating risk factors for conditions that cause chronic pain in older adults is crucial. As longevity increases, the healthcare sector needs to prioritise chronic pain management for people with intellectual disabilities through appropriate treatment strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: Life expectancy for both sexes in Australia exceeds 80 years, with individuals with intellectual disability also increasingly living into older age. This research aimed to comparatively examine perceptions of staff supporting either older adults or age peers with lifelong intellectual disability. Methods: This project asked 420 medical, health, and support workers about training adequacy, health services access, and trigger points for premature institutionalisation. This paper is based on a subsample of 196 respondents who provided quantitative and qualitative responses. Results: There was considerable variation in confidence in supporting ageing individuals, while only 23.7% of doctors reported their training was adequate to support adults ageing with intellectual disability. A lack of services and poor carer health were identified as triggers for premature institutionalisation. Conclusions: The study revealed key differences in staff perceptions of support provision and training adequacy when comparing ageing individuals with intellectual disability to the general ageing population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An editorial is presented on protecting people in resource-poor regions and reducing the risk of new viral mutations. Topics include have a globally-equitable vaccination program for many policy makers and the big pharma industry; and mitigating the physical and mental health impact of limited mobility, severe curtailment of social interactions, and short- and long-term impact for people with intellectual disability.

Background Disability research data often exist in the form of individual records located within discrete registers that may extend across sensitive political boundaries. Method This paper discusses the opportunities and challenges associated with using linked health and administrative data for disability research, with examples from research projects conducted both in Australia and overseas. Results Linked data offer distinct value in providing a comprehensive profile for a range of health issues, such as morbidity, mortality, assessing health care costs and/or quality of service provision. Conclusions While the use of record linkage in health research is not a novel concept, recent advances in technology and electronic data management plus improved data linkage protocols have markedly increased the feasibility and opportunity for successfully utilising data linkage for the purposes of research, while at the same time protecting the privacy of the individual. An awareness and appropriate management of the associated challenges is required to maximise the outcomes of disability research using linked data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An editorial is presented in which editor discusses the World Health Organization that formally declared COVID-19 infections to be a global pandemic on March 11, 2020. Topics include examines the intractable aspects that have been brought into sharper focus deserve repeating and considered inequality and inequity of health and social services for vulnerable groups that are so entrenched that have come to accept them with varying degrees of reluctance.