As the population ages more people are reaching old age having lived with a long-term physical impairment. This vulnerable group of people has specific needs that are often different from those of someone who reaches old age without a pre-existing physical impairment. This paper focuses on the significance of social support in ameliorating the aging experience when living with long-term physical impairment. It is based on a qualitative study of the aging experiences of eight men and women

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... in Ontario, Canada who were between the ages of 50 and 65 and had lived with their physical impairment for more than 10 years. Two participants had impairments on account of multiple sclerosis, two on account of rheumatoid arthritis, one had loss of limb, one had muscular dystrophy, one had hip deterioration from age 12, and one had polycystic kidney disease. Data were gathered through in-depth, semi-structured interviews. The findings suggest that coping with long-term physical impairment may be a lonely experience when the person lacks a strong network of family and/or friends to offer emotional support as they deal with the constant changes that can occur. Participants felt their experiences of aging with long-term physical impairment were improved when they shared their thoughts, feelings and problems with others. The paper also discusses the significance of gender and marital status with regard to access to social support.