"Addressing Healthcare Disparities Faced by Aging Down Syndrome Populat" by Rhea Mistry

Researcher ORCID Identifier

0009-0007-6381-9346

Graduation Year

2024

Document Type

Open Access Senior Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelor of Arts

Department

Neuroscience

Reader 1

Elise Ferree

Reader 2

Thomas Borowski

Terms of Use & License Information

Terms of Use for work posted in Scholarship@Claremont.

Rights Information

© 2024 Rhea Mistry

Abstract

Down syndrome (DS) is a chromosomal genetic condition that impacts the development of the body and brain. The life expectancy of individuals with DS has drastically improved over the decades, increasing from 9 years in 1929 to 25 years in 1983 and further reaching 60 years by 2002. Individuals with DS face a variety of prominent co-occurring health conditions that are subject to change over time, including cognitive, visual, and hearing impairments, sleep apnea, cardiovascular defects, Down syndrome regression disorder, and dementia. Despite this increase in life span, DS is still most familiar to pediatric care providers, resulting in healthcare systems and clinicians being inadequately equipped to address the needs of aging DS populations, leading to disparities in care for elders with DS. My paper highlights healthcare disparities, emphasizes the need for further clinical research, and reviews existing approaches to bridging them. I then propose a study to provide board-certified physicians with updated, research-based insights on aging DS populations, with the training administered to doctors through the Continuing Medical Education (CME) requirements. This proposal not only aims to improve care for aging adults with DS but also advocates for dismantling non-inclusive structures in healthcare, benefiting a broader range of individuals with disabilities and vulnerable populations.

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