NEW!

New CDC COVID-19 Guidance Regarding Individuals with Disabilities

The CDC recently released new guidances regarding COVID-19 related to individuals with disabilities. The guidances includes information and resources for direct services providers, group homes, and other entities that work with people with disabilities (including intellectual disability). Information in these guidances includes precautions that direct service providers can take to protect themselves and the people they work with, strategies for group homes to address staffing shortages, and other helpful tips.

Click here for guidance for direct service providers.

Click here for guidance for group homes for individuals with disabilities.

Click here for guidance for direct service providers, caregivers, parents, and people with developmental and behavioral disorders.

Click here for guidance for people with developmental and behavioral disorder.

These guides are also featured on CDC's COVID-19 Federal Guidance page.

New and Noteworthy

NTG Participating in AAIC 2020!

NTG Board members will be presenting two 'Developing Topics' posters at the upcoming AAIC 2020 Conference. Nancy Jokinen, Kathryn Service, Christine Marsack-Topolewski, and Matthew Janicki will be addressing a "Support-staging model for caregivers of adults with intellectual diability affected by dementia" (#47273). Matthew Janicki will be covering "Community-based housing and NPI-care practices for adults with intellectual disability and dementia" (#47061).

Biomarkers reveal early evolution of Alzheimer's in Down

European researchers have noted biomarkers linked to early evolution, by some 20 years, of Alzheimer's in adults with Down syndrome. They report that their biomarker study characterizes the natural history of Alzheimer’s disease in adults with Down syndrome and shows the "sequential changes in biomarkers over decades, as well as progressive cognitive impairment."

To read the article.

NTG Contributes to 2020 Alzheimer Europe Conference

AE's program on post-diagnostic supports includes a NTG presentation on community dementia-capable group homes.

NDSS and LuMind Submit Research Plan on Down Syndrome and AD to NIH

LuMind IDSC and NDSS jointly submitted to NIH a comprehensive plan for advancing medical research to improve the health and well-being of individuals with Down syndrome, including a focus on dementia. NTG members participated in the plan's workgroups

To read the recommendations...

COVID-19 and Pneumonia: Increased Risk for Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities

A recent research brief, titled COVID-19 and Pneumonia: Increased Risk for Individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities during the Pandemic noted that "early evidence indicates that, compared to the population overall, individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities (IDD) have a slightly higher risk of contracting and a substantially higher risk of dying from the novel coronavirus (COVID-19)."

To read report

NTG webinar series on COVID-19, ID, & dementia continues

The NTG is offering a new series of webinars on COVID-19. For information on current and planned offerings, click here.

NTG joins UIC national grant project on COVID-19 & ID

The NTG will join with the University of Illinois at Chicago's HealthMatters Program to carry out a national COVID-19 and ID development project. Drs. Jasmina Sisirak and Beth Marks with the HealthMatters Program at the University of Illinois at Chicago were recently awarded a grant from the UIC’s Center for Clinical and Translational Science COVID-19 Pilot Grant Program to undertake a project that will collect information and produce a training program related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Advocacy to Eliminate Hospital Visitation Barriers Successful

The federal Office of Civil Rights has issued a prohibition on preventing families and aid staff from visiting and providing assistance to persons with disabilities hospitalized due to the COVID-19 virus. Read more...

NTG Statement on Coronavirus

The impact of COVID-19 has been profound, and its presence poses a particular risk for people with intellectual disability – especially for those diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease or with other causes of dementia. We know that in these times, we can't slow down our work to help families and adults with dementia. Even though the NTG has suspended providing our in-person workshops and meetings, including cancelling our 2020 NTG conference which was scheduled for Pittsburgh in June, our education team is going full speed planning for webinars and other distance learning modes – to help keep information flowing.

The NTG joined our colleagues in the Down syndrome community to help produce a Q & A on COVID-19 and Down syndrome. We worked to include several questions in the Q & A concerning older adults affected by dementia. The expanded Q & A and its brief version can be accessed on our site. We have also set up a page for COVID-19 links to other resources. An updated Q & A will be issued in July 2020.

We are currently collaborating with ACCSES on a national provider survey to determine the impact of COVID-19 on re-entry processes and day-to-day operations, as well as aiding in an international study being undertaken by the T21RS organization to examine the clinical aspects of COVID-19 upon adults with Down syndrome. We will also be an active partner on a new grant awarded to the University of Illinois at Chicago to undertake a five-year project on raising awareness about brain health and reducing risk of dementia in adults with intellectual disability.

We are also looking at the provisions of the newly enacted Supporting Older Americans Act of 2020 that will enable ther caregivers of adults aged less than 60 to get supports and assistance from aging agencies if the adult has ‘younger onset’ dementia. You can read our statement on this topic ...

Most of all we strongly recommend that everyone follow the recommendations of the CDC to stay safe, exercise caution with respect to being exposed to COVID-19, wash and sanitize your hands, wear your mask, and keep that 6-foot distance from others.

Join the NTG

By joining the NTG you'll become part of the premier national organization advocating for the services and supports so important to adults with intellectual disability and dementia You'll also have access to the very latest information, educational opportunities, and be able to make your voice heard with opportunities to tell policymakers what you think. There is no cost to join.

Join the NTG