Learning Disability Wales has submitted a response to the Welsh Government consultation on Strategy for an ageing society: age friendly Wales.

In our response we emphasised the need to include people with a learning disability in plans to make Wales an age friendly country. In terms of older people with learning disabilities, it is important to look at their specific needs as they grow older as well as the reasons why they tend to die so much younger than the general population. Specific issues we raised include the need to make annual health checks available for all people with a learning disability. People with a learning disability are much less likely to be in paid employment and are also significantly poorer than other people.

We urge Welsh Government to tackle these interconnected issues as well as housing, better support for carers, and digital inclusion to make sure people with a learning disability get to grow old and have the right kind of support when they do.

You can find the full consultation response here: Ageing Society Response LDW (PDF in English). If you would like this response in a different format or in Welsh please email grace.krause@ldw.org.uk.