In the Report of the Surgeon General's Conference on Health Disparities and Mental Retardation (U.S. Public Health Service, 2001), wellness programs and health promotion education were listed as the primary goals. With the number of older (60+) adults with lifelong intellectual/developmental disabilities (I/DD) expecting to double by 2030 to 1,065,000 (American Association on Mental Retardation), these goals will be increasingly challenging. More health care providers will need to be recruited to initiate and ensure that services exist for this growing population. In this monograph, we will examine:
- Rationale for health promotion and wellness programs
- Wellness Evaluation Protocol: A model program for aging adults with I/DD and severe/profound deficits
- Future goals