Background: The global population is experiencing accelerated biopsychosocial aging. Cognitive impairment is frequently associated with functional impairment in basic and instrumental daily living activities. To maintain optimal cognitive and functional functioning, health professionals recommend that older adults participate in cognitive training.
Aims: This study examines the cognitive and functional evolution of older adults with and without Intellectual Disability and the factors associated with favourable evolution following the intervention of a multicomponent programme based on the human occupational model and the person-centred care model.
Methods and procedures: 247 people participated. Descriptive and univariate analyses were performed to examine baseline data. The Wilcoxon paired samples test was used to compare cognitive and functional evolution one year after the intervention. Linear regression was used to detect factors predicting favourable evolution.
Outcomes and results: Both populations improved cognitively. There was no change in basic activities of daily living. There was an improvement in instrumental activities of daily living in the group with Intellectual Disability. None of the variables collected was a predictor of greater improvement.
Conclusions and implications: This study demonstrated that older people with Intellectual Disability who have supports to cope with this life stage can improve their cognitive and functional abilities.
Keywords: Aging; Cognitive evolution; Functional evolution; Intellectual disability; Multicomponent intervention.
Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.