This study presents a typology of perceptions of old age based on a sample of 47 aging mentally retarded persons. Using data collected through in-person interviews, a content analysis yielded six general types of responses to the question, "What does getting old mean to you?" Next, we conducted three analyses investigating the relation of respondents'perceptions of aging to specific sample member characteristics. Persons who were currently working were more likely to anticipate changes in their social lives than were persons who were not employed. Further, workrelated changes were more likely to be anticipated by persons living in communitybased settings than those in an institutional setting, and by respondents who were age 60 or younger than by persons older than 60. Finally, most of the sample members defined the age of an older person as being more advanced than their current age. We discuss the programmatic, research, and policy implications of the study.As is true among the general population, there has been a significant increase in the longevity of persons with mental retardation over the last several decades.

For healthcare professionals, practicing a healthful behavior oneself is a powerful predictor of counseling patients about these same self-care behaviors (e.g. exercise, wearing seat belts, etc). We explored the feasibility of altering healthcare professionals' personal and professional behaviors with regard to diet, food preparation, and their ability to advise patients who are overweight or obese as a result of a four-day continuing medical education (CME) conference, "Healthy Kitchens, Healthy Lives-Caring for Our Patients and Ourselves," which combines both medical and culinary education.

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