The Bakersfield Californian printed a wonderful article on Aug. 21 titled, “What happens to developmentally disabled as caregivers age, die?” In the article, a 67-year-old mother described her grave concern about what will happen to her 22-year-old with cerebral palsy and intellectual disability if she were to predecease her daughter.
Because of advancements in medical science, those with special needs are outliving their parents far more than they were 20, 30 or 40 years ago. Life expectancy is a little past 78, and for most with special needs, that number is the same for them.