Intensive Support • Aging • Goal 1:
Incorporate Aging Supports
Action step 1.
Assess your living situation and needs for now and the future.
As you reach later life, you must plan for a lifestyle that supports your aging and also plan for the daily supports you already need or may increasingly need in the future. Aging can also have a big effect on people’s executive functions — an area already sometimes altered by autism.
Because executive functions govern day-to-day tasks and comprehension, skills that help people manage everyday life, you may encounter challenges as you age.
To reassess your list of essential needs in housing, notice:
- Tasks that are getting harder than before
- Tasks or everyday things that seem confusing
- Issues with planning, attention or impulse control that may disrupt your routine
Resources
Words to know
Action step 2.
Select the housing option that best fits your needs now.
It is true for much of your life that a person with autism may not have to search alone for housing. Yet as you advance in age, you may have to advocate for yourself in that setting. Explore, if necessary, different housing options that appear to offer ways to tailor your services with minimum disruption to your routine.
Resources
Action step 3.
Discuss your future need for modifications and care with your support network.
A person who needs support is entitled to have a home that meets their needs. Federal nondiscrimination laws require housing providers to make reasonable accommodations and reasonable modifications for individuals with disabilities.
If you or a family member requires an accommodation to housing to make it livable, discuss with a wider support network how best to raise this with a housing provider to find a tailored solution.
Resources
Words to know
Action step 4.
Adapt services and supports for current needs and other aging supports.
The range of services that can be available through state programs and federal HCBS waivers is very large. For that reason, most new essential services that you or a person with autism might need can lead to revising an HCBS enrollment. Applications for services take time to process.
Throughout your life, it remains vital that you receive updated advice about the services that match your needs. Your support network, including medical doctors, any caregivers and even a specialized needs planner can advise on this decision.
