A new companion resource to The Gerontological Society of America (GSA) KAER Toolkit for Brain Health supports person-centered brain health promotion in individuals with intellectual disabilities and developmental disabilities (I/DD), according to study results presented at the Gerontological Advanced Practice Nurses Association Annual Conference (GAPNA), held from September 11 to 13, 2025, in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Mainstream cognitive assessment tools are often insufficient for adults with I/DD, creating a need for validated clinical tools that can help accurately and promptly detect cognitive impairment in adults with I/DD.
“Adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and their caregivers, may face barriers to obtaining an accurate assessment of cognitive decline,” said Jennifer L. Pettis, MS, RN, CNE, director of strategic alliances at GSA. “To address unmet needs and better equip primary care teams to appropriately attend to brain health in adults with I/DD, GSA developed a new companion resource to supplement The GSA KAER Toolkit for Brain Health.”
“To address unmet needs and better equip primary care teams to appropriately attend to brain health in adults with I/DD, GSA developed a new companion resource to supplement The GSA KAER Toolkit for Brain Health.”
— Jennifer L. Pettis, MS, RN, CNE
The companion resource, titled “Addressing Brain Health in Adults with Intellectual Disabilities and Developmental Disabilities: A Companion to the KAER Toolkit for Brain Health,” builds on the original KAER framework.
“The 4 steps in the KAER framework – kickstart, assess, evaluate, and refer – are intended to improve health-related outcomes and wellbeing for people with dementia and their families,” Ms. Pettis explained.
The new resource has 4 main goals: first, to raise awareness of the unique needs of adults with I/DD; second, to provide caregivers and clinicians with the tools to have appropriate conversations about brain health with adults who have I/DD; third, the resource aims to promote early detection of changes in cognitive and adaptive function in adults with I/DD; and fourth, to help identify community support networks that can improve function and quality of life for adults with I/DD.
In her presentation, Ms. Pettis explained that when combined with The GSA KAER Toolkit for Brain Health, the new resource can help with early dementia detection and dementia care planning for adults with I/DD.
References:
Pettis J. An innovation to address brain health and dementia in individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Presented at: GAPNA 2025; September 11-13, 2025; Las Vegas, NV.