Physiotherapy in the Universe of Older People with Intellectual Disabilities

Among the many reasons for writing a book on physiotherapy in the intellectual disability of the elderly is the lack of specific literature and the belief that, because people with intellectual disabilities are in the process of ageing, most of them prematurely, there would be no need to work hard on their motor skills. For a better understanding, the authors begin by clarifying how human ageing occurs and its multiple organic repercussions, highlighting the functional changes typical of senescence and the urgency of developing an active lifestyle, from a physical and mental point of view. The second chapter highlights the up-to-date characterisation of intellectual disability and concludes by establishing a relationship between intellectual disability and ageing, as well as raising awareness of the importance of interdisciplinary care. The third and final chapter covers the various ways of facilitating, maintaining and perfecting movement in these people, with physiotherapy emerging as an alternative for maintaining functional capacity, which is concluded in the final considerations.