“Having the Time of My Life”: An Exploratory Study of Women With Intellectual Disability Growing Older

Abstract

In this paper we report on an exploratory study with a group of 13 older women with intellectual disability in Sydney, Australia, to add to the limited knowledge about how they perceive their lives as they grow older. We report the findings from the qualitative data gathered as an extension of a structured interviewing process. Analysis revealed five themes: “it's just who I am,” “enjoying support from family and friends,” “being part of the community,” “feeling healthy,” and having “enough money to buy what I need.” We discuss these themes in relation to the concept of resilience. Overall, the women we talked with were ageing well, with meaningful, productive, and sustainable lives.

We thank the 13 women who agreed to be interviewed for this study. They were very generous in welcoming us into their homes and telling us about their lives and their hopes for the future. We also thank the support and advocacy organisations and individual advocates who assisted us to contact and interview the women.