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Disability support workers’ knowledge and education needs about psychotropic medication
- Authors:
- DONLEY Mandy, CHAN Jeffrey, WEBBER Lynne
- Journal article citation:
- British Journal of Learning Disabilities, 40(4), December 2012, pp.286-291.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
In Australia, disability support workers are the predominant workforce employed to support people with an intellectual disability. Many support workers are required to assist people they support to take psychotropic medications in the form of chemical restraint. Support workers in Australia receive limited education and training in this area and as a result may miss important information about effects of medication on the people they support. In this study, support workers were asked about their education and training needs around chemical restraint. The results showed that while the majority of support workers felt they were provided with good support from their co-workers and supervisors, they felt they need more specific information regarding the side effects of psychotropic medication and its alternatives. Finding ways to support the support workers is crucial to minimise the use of chemical restraint and provide best support possible to people with disabilities. Implications for practice are discussed.
The role of staff in health promotion in community residences for people with intellectual disabilities: variation in views among managers and caregivers
- Authors:
- BERGSTROM Helena, WIHLMAN Ulla
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Intellectual Disabilities, 15(3), September 2011, pp.167-176.
- Publisher:
- Sage
- Place of publication:
- London
Staff in community residences for people with intellectual disabilities are expected both to promote residents’ health and to support their right to make their own choices. The aim of this article was to explore variation in views among managers and caregivers on the role of staff in health promotion. A qualitative study was conducted using semi-structured interviews with 6 managers and 6 caregivers from community residences in Stockholm County. Analysis of the transcripts revealed 5 qualitatively different main categories of roles that staff play in health promotion: the parent; the manipulator; the coach; the educator; and the libertarian. Managers mainly expressed views that placed them among the least protective/controlling categories, whilst caregivers were at the other end of the spectrum. The transcripts were also analysed to reveal the lifestyle-related risk factors for ill-health and barriers to a healthy lifestyle that staff in community residences must handle. The results highlight the ethical conflict that faces staff trying to support a healthy lifestyle as well as the autonomy of the residents.
Cancer prevention and health promotion for people with intellectual disabilities: an exploratory study of staff knowledge
- Authors:
- HANNA L. M., TAGGART L., COUSINS W.
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Intellectual Disability Research, 55(3), March 2011, pp.281-291.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
People with intellectual disabilities are living longer but are also at increased risk of health problems compared to the general population. Recognising the early signs and symptoms of cancer in a population with cognitive impairment and communication difficulties poses difficulties for family and professionals alike. Engagement in health promotion and cancer prevention is also a challenge. This postal survey explored how carers address these challenges. Forty staff, across fifteen residential facilities in Northern Ireland, completed a questionnaire about the risk and protective factors of stomach, breast, cervical and testicular cancer. They then completed questions about 90 adults with ID, recording body mass index, lifestyle choices (i.e. smoking, diet), Helicobacter pylori testing, family history of cancer and staff's health promotion and cancer prevention activities with them. The women had significantly higher BMIs than the men and only two people had been tested for the H. pylori infection. The majority of the staff had not received training in cancer prevention and most were unaware of the family histories of the people in their care. There was considerable variation in how staff approached health promotion and screening for specific cancers. The authors conclude that health promotion and cancer prevention activities for people with ID could be improved. The importance of staff training in order to raise knowledge and awareness is highlighted.