Poster presentation at the Irish Osteoporosis Society Conference

1. Proactive Approach to Osteoporosis Management in an Intellectual Disability Population
Prevalence of Osteoporosis
People with Intellectual disability General population
Age 50 - 64 36.8% 8%
Prevalence of Osteopenia
37% 14%
7 /10 people with an ID have either osteopenia or osteoporosis
References:
1.Srikanth, R, Cassidy, G, Joiner, C, & Teeluckdharry, S 2011, 'Osteoporosis in
people with intellectual disabilities: a review and a brief study of risk factors for
osteoporosis in a community sample of people with intellectual disabilities', Journal
Of Intellectual Disability Research, 55, 1, pp. 53-62
2. McCarron, M. et al. Advancing years, Different challenges: Wave 2 IDS-TILDA:
findings on the ageing of people with an intellectual disability: an intellectual
disability supplement to the Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing, 2014. Dublin:
Trinity College Dublin
3. Forever Autumn Community of Practice www.foreverautumn.co
4. Happy Bones Website www.happybones.ie
Lorraine Ledger, CNM3, St Michaels House,
Daragh Rodger ANP Care of the Older Adult Community, St Mary’s Hospital
Anne Spencer, Education Technologist, PETAL.
Background
Osteoporosis has a devastating effect on quality of life and in the Intellectual Disability (ID) population this is also
apparent1. St Michael’s House (SMH) provides support to children and adults with an ID in Dublin and recognises
this fact. The Irish Longitudinal study on Ageing – Intellectual Disability Services (TILDA-IDS) Wave II report (2014)
highlighted that osteoporosis is the most common non-cardiovascular disease among the ID population, higher
than arthritis, cancers and respiratory conditions2.
Aim
To highlight the incidence of osteoporosis and osteopenia in an ID population
To develop an education resource to support and heighten this awareness among all staff, service users, families and
carers.
Outcomes
An education resource on bone health and
osteoporosis in ID - Happy bones4 was
launched in July 2015.
Osteoporosis is very much on the agenda
in SMH and as a result of Happy Bones
also in other ID Care Providers.
Conclusion
Through the investment, development and implementation of this
proactive approach to osteoporosis an awareness of prevention and
management strategies in ID is available.
SMH Project Team
Collaboration with Forever Autumn Community of Practice 3
to support the development of an education resource engaging
with service users and their families.
Audit of the incidence of osteoporosis
and osteopenia in SMH recognising the
need for a new approach to bone health
in ID.
Method