So I would not say that we are seniors yet, but we are definitely Americans over the age of 50! For families who take care of persons with disabilities, the prospect of aging can be quite daunting. As you prepare for this time of life, you also have to consider how you will continue to provide, nurture and advocate for your loved one with the disability. Bureaucratic systems become more difficult to manage.

You may not have the same set of resources you once had access to.

No one knows how they will age, or whether they will have to battle their own physical or mental health challenges.

In sum, it takes a lot of work and planning to manage this time of life.

Our system, unfortunately, is not designed to support these changes. Everyone ages, including people with disabilities. As a society, we have to make space for all. Pinellas County has an age-friendly initiative worth knowing about if you are starting to think through this.