Life expectancy for people with disabilities

Abstract

This article reviews the literature on life expectancy in the disabled population. The literature is surveyed with regard to the main elements that reduce life expectancy for people with disabilities. These are immobility, cognitive and intellectual impairment, swallowing problems and tube feeding, epilepsy and incontinence. The article discusses various improvements in survival in the last few years and discusses the possibility of further improvements in the future. The difficulties are discussed with regard to early prediction of life expectancy both in childhood and after an acute neurological event in adulthood. The literature is then reviewed with regard to the cohort studies on quantification of life expectancy in disabled people. The literature is discussed and pragmatic clinical conclusions are drawn.