How to improve the quality of life of elderly people with intellectual disability: A systematic literature review of support strategies.

Background: The increased life expectancy of people with intellectual disability intensifies the need for age-specific support. Research on effects of support strategies on quality of life (QoL) of these people remains scattered.
Methods: A systematic search of peer-reviewed publications since 1995 was performed, with participants having intellectual disability and being aged ≥50 years. Studies include experimental, observational and exploratory designs, analysing links between support strategies and QoL outcomes. The present authors adopted a narrative approach.
Results: The present authors found 73 articles, assessed their quality, thematically categorized interventions into 12 themes, and listed them with their stated relationships to QoL.
Conclusions: The studies indicated the importance of funding, provision and organization of services/personnel, education, and cooperation among different support systems. The provision of good housing or activities, support when these provisions change, provision of (mental) health care, dementia care and end-of-life care, life story work, future planning and support for (I)ADLs are crucial.
(© 2018 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)