Supporting Disabled Individuals in Aging Crisis.

An-An (alias) is an individual with intellectual disabilities who is approaching old age. For many years, he has lived with and relied solely on his mother. As both of them age and their physical health gradually declines, his mother’s worries have deepened—what will happen when she can no longer care for An-An? She knows that he needs stability and security in life. Despite his limitations, she hopes he can learn more self-care skills and become increasingly independent.

One day, she told An-An, “We need to start saving money. For the sake of your health, you’ll need to give up your favorite milk tea. This will help keep you healthy, and one day, if I can’t take care of you anymore, I won’t worry as much.” An-An only partially understood, but when he saw the serious and worried look on his mother’s face, he decided to give it a try.

He began helping with housework, learning to pay bills at convenience stores, and saving the money he used to spend on milk tea. Each time he saved, his mother would encourage him by saying, “This money can help you. If one day I can’t give you pocket money anymore, this will be your allowance.”
With his mother’s ongoing encouragement, An-An developed the habit of saving money every week. Every time he placed coins into his little piggy bank, his mother’s heart filled with a sense of relief. Though she still worries about the future, seeing An-An gradually learn to manage his life has shifted some of that worry into peace of mind. No matter what the future holds, An-An has already begun to take responsibility for his own life—and this sense of responsibility is the foundation of his journey toward independent living.