Older adults and the elderly (ages 65+)
ADHD does not necessarily diminish with age.
Increasing numbers of adults are recognising ADHD symptoms and impairment in themselves or their partners, often as a result of diagnoses been given for their children or grandchildren.
For some, the recognition that their lives may have been affected by ADHD over decades can come as a relief but may also generate anger.
Symptoms of ADHD can flare when combined with normal age-related cognitive decline.
There may be an increased risk of alcohol use, family conflict (because of increased time spent at home with partners), or uncontrolled spending.
Until recently, ADHD in adults was not recognised as a likely contributory factor to any difficulties that someone may be experiencing, and ‘diagnostic overshadowing’ (i.e. treating for anxiety or depression) can often obscure the existence of an underlying disorder.
While the current national guidelines recommend the use of medication as a first-stage response, the general health of the patient must be taken into account in terms of other conditions such as heart disease, blood pressure abnormalities and epilepsy.
Retirement
Although there has been very little research on ADHD, prevalence or impact in the latter stages of life, there is sufficient anecdotal evidence to suggest that retirement is a critical transition from a structured world of work and daily occupation to a more open and fluid way of living that may or may not suit many people, and which may present novel challenges in terms of organising activity and coping with an increase in leisure time.