FACT SHEET

Description:       
The Rehabilitation Research and Training Center (RRTC) on Aging With A Disability is funded
by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR), part of the U.S. 
Department of Education.  There are about 40 such Centers, all of which focus on a specific
problem affecting people who have a disability.  This RRTC is a collaborative effort of
Rancho Los Amigos Medical Center, the University of Southern California, and the University
of California, Irvine.  The purposes of the Center are 1) to conduct applied research related
to aging with a disability, 2) to train others about findings in this area as well as how to
conduct rehabilitation research, and 3) to disseminate information to consumers and
professionals.
 
Problem Statement:       
For the first time, persons who acquired a disability before the age of 30 can reasonably
expect to live to late life.  Tens of thousands of persons with spinal cord injury, polio,
cerebral palsy, rheumatoid arthritis and other conditions are now aging with a disability.  

Current research and clinical experience indicate that chronic disability is not stable over the
life span.  Many, if not most individuals will experience major changes in health, function
and psychosocial status as they age.  These changes appear earlier than in non-disabled
persons and suggest a picture that some consider “premature aging”.   People who are aging
with a disability report new problems with pain, endurance, employment, discouragement,
and worry.  These changes also have a major impact on family and friends.

Research on these topics has been ongoing since only the early 1980’s, with effort focused
on understanding or treating these problems.  Unless we have better diagnostic tools,
better understanding of the processes involved people who have a disability. 
 
Research Program:       
Specific research projects are being conducted to investigate problems people are facing as
they age with a disability.  In most instances, the research populations include individuals
with polio, rheumatoid arthritis, cerebral palsy, spinal cord injury, and stroke.  

The following projects are underway:
The Natural Course of Aging with Disability
Assisting Family Caregivers:  A Cross-Ethnic Comparison
Improving Community Integration and Adjustment
Prevention of Secondary Complications
Improving Bone Density
Effectiveness of Assistive Technology and Environmental Interventions in Maintaining Functional Performance
Training Program:         
Training is directed towards improving the knowledge and skills of current and future health
and allied health professionals as well as consumers, family members, community service 
providers, and researchers.

A variety of training projects are being planned and implemented, including:
Curriculum development for Medical Students and Primary Care
RRTC-sponsored conferences for professionals
RRTC-sponsored conferences for consumers
Presentations at national conferences
Publication of articles and chapters in scientific journals and consumer publications
Consumer Dissemination:
A unique feature of this RRTC is its strong emphasis on getting useful and current
information to people with disabilities and their families.  These audiences are the ultimate
beneficiaries of the RRTC’s efforts.  A variety of techniques are being
used to disseminate information, including articles in consumer magazines, presentations at
consumer meetings, an electronic website, distribution of current research updates, and 
publication of a resource manual.
 
 
For further information, please contact:
RRTC on Aging with a Disability 
7601 E. Imperial Highway, 800 West Annex 
Downey, CA  90242
(562) 401-7402
email: lcarrothers@agingwithdisability.org  
website: www.agingwithdisability.org