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The estimated prevalence of visual impairment among people with learning disabilities in the UK
- Authors:
- EMERSON Eric, ROBERTSON Janet
- Publisher:
- Public Health England
- Publication year:
- 2011
- Pagination:
- 35p.
- Place of publication:
- London
It has been known for some time that visual impairments are more common among people with learning disabilities, especially people with more severe learning disabilities, and that the presence of visual impairments can significantly impair the independence and quality of life of people with learning disabilities. The aim of this report is to estimate how many people with learning disabilities in the UK are likely to have visual impairments. The report suggests that, at present, approximately 50,000 people with learning disabilities who are known to services in the UK have visual impairment. An additional 15,000 are blind. Whilst most children with learning disabilities are known to services, not all adults with learning disabilities are known to adult health or social care learning disabilities services – it is estimated that there may be an additional 44,000 adults with learning disabilities and visual impairment and 11,000 with learning disabilities and blindness. It is estimated that all of these figures will rise by approximately 0.5% each year over the next two decades.
The life experiences of adults with learning difficulties in England
- Authors:
- EMERSON Eric, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Community Connecting, 4, Spring 2006, pp.18-19.
- Publisher:
- Community Connecting
This article briefly reports on the results of a survey which aimed to find out what life is like for adults with learning difficulties in England. The survey interviewed nearly 3,000 adults with learning difficulties.
Adults with learning difficulties in England 2003/4: full report
- Authors:
- EMERSON Eric, et al
- Publisher:
- National Health Service. Information Centre for Health and Social Care
- Publication year:
- 2005
- Pagination:
- 129p.
- Place of publication:
- Leeds
This is the report of the first national survey of adults with learning disabilities in England. It tells us how much more needs to be done if people with learning difficulties are to be more included and have a better life.
Adults with learning difficulties in England 2003/4: summary report
- Editors:
- EMERSON Eric, et al, (eds.)
- Publisher:
- National Health Service. Information Centre for Health and Social Care
- Publication year:
- 2005
- Pagination:
- 24p.
- Place of publication:
- Leeds
An easy read summary of the first national survey of adults with learning disabilities in England. It tells us how much more needs to be done if people with learning difficulties are to be more included and have a better life.
Screening for thyroid insufficiency in adults with Down syndrome
- Authors:
- GLOVER Gyles, CHAUHAN Umesh, EMERSON Eric
- Journal article citation:
- Tizard Learning Disability Review, 18(2), 2013, pp.98-103.
- Publisher:
- Emerald
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to introduce and present the first findings of a new English performance indicator in the primary healthcare of adults with Down syndrome. This is a performance target, with associated bonus payment, requiring General Practitioners (GPs) to undertake annually a screening blood test for thyroid hormone deficiency. Design/methodology/approach – Analysis and review of data collected from all GP practices and published by the National Health Service (NHS) Information Centre. Findings – In total, 82 per cent of those identified as in the target group were screened and 10 per cent were identified as not wanting to be screened or screening inappropriate. The target group numbered just over 60 per cent of the number estimated from epidemiological and other studies. The numbers of cases involved is small (0, 1 or 2 cases in 75 per cent of GP practices), and whilst variation in coverage at local level appears important, numbers are too small for the variations seen in the first year's data to be statistically significant. The scope of the data precludes useful strategic analysis of the value of the intervention. Research limitations/implications – Data from several years need to be taken together. The NHS Information Centre should slightly increase the scope of the data to allow analysis of whether the programme is having useful public health benefits. Originality/value – The paper examines a new data source and makes points applicable to a wider range of similar datasets in the same programme. (Publisher abstract)
The “transition cliff” in the administrative prevalence of learning disabilities in England
- Authors:
- EMERSON Eric, GLOVER Gyles
- Journal article citation:
- Tizard Learning Disability Review, 17(3), 2012, pp.139-143.
- Publisher:
- Emerald
The central aim of the Learning Disabilities Public Health Observatory (LDPHO) is to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the commissioning of health and other public services for people with learning disabilities, and through this to improve the health of, and reduce the health inequalities experienced by, children and adults with learning disabilities across England. The aim of this paper is to report on research done by the LDPHO on the age-specific administrative prevalence of learning disabilities in England. Drawing on a secondary analysis of data from national education, health and social care agencies, it demonstrates that there is an abrupt decline in the age-specific administrative prevalence of learning disabilities at the point of transition to adult services. The findings highlight the existence of a ‘hidden majority’ of adults with learning disabilities. This data has implications for commissioning better health services for people with learning disabilities. First, health information systems should incorporate better ways of identifying patients with mild and moderate learning disabilities. Second, consideration should be given to the extension of annual health checks to include all young people who have had a Statement of Special Educational Needs.
Friendship activities of adults with intellectual disabilities in supported accommodation in Northern England
- Authors:
- EMERSON Eric, McVILLY Keith
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities, 17(3), September 2004, pp.191-197.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
Despite there being considerable evidence to suggest that friendships are central to health and well-being, relatively little attention had been paid to the friendships of people with intellectual disabilities. Friendship activities involving people with and without intellectual disabilities were measured over the preceding month in a sample of 1542 adults with intellectual disabilities receiving supported accommodation in nine geographical localities in Northern England. The results of the study indicate: (1) low levels of friendship activities among people with intellectual disabilities in supported accommodation; (2) people with intellectual disabilities are more likely to be involved in activities with friends who also have intellectual disabilities than with friends who do not have intellectual disabilities; (3) most friendship activities take place in the public domain rather than in more private settings (e.g. at home); (4) the setting in which a person lives is a more significant determinant of the form and content of activities with their friends than the characteristics of participants. Further attention needs to be given to research and practice initiatives aimed at increasing the levels of friendship activities of people with intellectual disabilities.
Developing an evidence base for violent and disablist hate crime in Britain: findings from the Life Opportunities Survey
- Authors:
- EMERSON Eric, ROULSTONE Alan
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 29(17), 2014, pp.3086-3104.
- Publisher:
- Sage
The U.K.’s Life Opportunities Survey was used to examine disabled people’s self-reported exposure to violent crime, hate crime, and disablist hate crime in the UK over a 12 month period. Information was collected from a nationally representative sample of 37,513 British adults (age 16 or older). Results indicated that (a) disabled adults were significantly more likely to have been exposed over the previous 12 months to violent crime and hate crime than their non-disabled peers, (b) the differential risk of exposure to violent crime was particularly elevated among disabled adults with mental health problems, (c) the differential risk of exposure to hate crime was particularly elevated among disabled adults with mental health problems or cognitive impairments; and (d) these effects were strongly moderated by poverty status with no increase in differential risk of exposure for disabled adults among more wealthy respondents. (Edited publisher abstract)
Cluster housing for adults with intellectual disabilities
- Author:
- EMERSON Eric
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Intellectual and Developmental Disability, 29(3), September 2004, pp.187-197.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
While there is extensive evidence on the overall benefits of deinstitutionalisation, the move from institutional care to providing accommodation and support in small to medium sized dispersed housing schemes has not gone uncontested. Recently, a number of commentators have argued for the development of cluster housing on the basis that it may provide a "connected" community of people with intellectual disabilities. In the present study, comparisons were made, controlling for a range of participant characteristics, on a range of input, process and outcome variables between 169 adults with intellectual disabilities living in cluster housing and 741 adults with intellectual disabilities living in dispersed housing. Participants supported in cluster housing were more likely to live in larger settings, be supported by fewer staff, be exposed to greater changes/inconsistencies in living arrangements (their home also being used for short-term care for others and greater use of casual/bank staff), be exposed to more restrictive management practices (seclusion, sedation, physical restraint, polypharmacy), lead more sedentary lives, be underweight, and participate in fewer and a more restricted range of leisure, social and friendship activities. There were few potential benefits associated with living in cluster housing. It is concluded on the basis of the available evidence that cluster housing schemes offer a poorer quality of care and quality of life than dispersed housing schemes.