Active Aging: What Supports Do Older People with Cerebral Palsy Need?

Abstract

Advances in medical care have greatly helped increase the life expectancy of people with cerebral palsy (CP). A focus group and an open-ended questionnaire were applied to identify the changes associated with aging in CP and explore the most appropriate support services to promote active aging from the perspective of sociosanitary professionals. Five themes emerged from thematic analysis: aging peculiarities, support needs, autonomy, services, and contextual factors. The results have shown that professionals recognized an accelerated aging process associated with CP. They described as key aspects of active aging: perceiving physical and emotional well-being, having a life project, participating, enjoying autonomy, and being self-determined. In addition, they suggested the desirability of developing person-centered interventions throughout the life cycle. The findings associated with the aging process are considered strategic for designing procedures to provide opportunities for older people with CP to enjoy an active and healthy life.