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The uptake of health checks for adults with learning disabilities in England: 2008/9-2011/12
- Authors:
- GLOVER Gyles, EMERSON Eric, EVISON Felicity
- Journal article citation:
- Tizard Learning Disability Review, 18(1), 2013, pp.45-49.
- Publisher:
- Emerald
People with learning disabilities generally have worse health than their non-disabled peers. This is in part a problem of identifying ill health in this group and gaining timely access to services. In 2006 the Disability Rights Commission recommended the introduction of annual health checks for people with learning disabilities in England as a reasonable adjustment in primary care to address these health inequalities. This paper reports on trends in the provision of health checks for adults with learning disabilities over the period 2008/9-2011/12. It is based on the analysis of data collected by the Information Centre for Health and Social Care from Primary Care Trusts in England. Over the four years the percentage of eligible adults receiving a health check has consistently increased and now stands at 53 percent. There remain marked variations across both Strategic Health Authority areas and Primary Care Trusts. The authors conclude that there is still some way to go before minimum standards of satisfactory performance in the provision of health checks are achieved nationally. They point to the necessity of considering possible obstacles to provision and how these can be addressed to improve uptake further.
'I ain't been bothered to go': managing health problems in people with a learning disability who live without support
- Author:
- TILLY Liz
- Journal article citation:
- Diversity and Equality in Health and Care, 10(4), 2013, pp.223-230.
- Publisher:
- Insight Medical Publishing
People with a mild learning disability, who live independently without support from services, make up the largest group within the learning-disabled population. An inclusive project enabled a small group of seven people with a learning disability to take the lead in exploring their own lives. It used a grounded theory approach, enabling the group members to take a lead in the direction of the research. The aim was to explore the strategies they used to cope with day-to-day living, their experiences of poverty, and the support they received from their social networks. The research also explored issues of identity and labelling and enabled this socially excluded group to have a voice. The findings revealed multiple challenges in many aspects of day-to-day living. These challenges included a wide range of avoidable health problems and difficulty for a number of reasons in engaging with health services and health advice. This was exacerbated by having poor role models and limited social capital. Their health problems had a major impact on their lives, and many avoided diagnosis and treatment out of fear. (Publisher abstract)
Derogation of “duty of care” in favour of “choice”?
- Authors:
- GILL Janet, FAZIL Qulsom
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Adult Protection, 15(5), 2013, pp.258-270.
- Publisher:
- Emerald
Purpose: Chronic health conditions such as obesity and type 2 diabetes are higher in individuals with learning disabilities and significantly affect both quality of life and longevity. Healthy eating is an important factor in preventing these chronic conditions. The study reported here explored the role paid carers played in promoting healthy eating and how they managed the daily dilemma of balancing residents’ right to make unhealthy food choices against carers’ “duty of care”. Design/methodology/approach: Semi-structured interviews were undertaken with a purposive sample of six residential paid carers. Interviews were transcribed and then analysed using a thematic approach. Findings: This small study highlights the challenges that staff face when balancing food choice against “duty of care”. It highlights that when working with less able residents, carers are motivated by “best interests”, to place boundaries and restrictions on food access and choice. It confirms previous studies that increased levels of choice for higher ability residents, often results in less healthy food choices. The study describes a lack of policy, guidance and specific training for paid carers which results in them using their personal subjective values as a basis for decision making. Originality/value: Since the publication of “Valuing People” (Department of Health, 2001) the core principles of residential services changed direction towards independence and choice. This study expands our knowledge on how paid carers make sense of the everyday conflicts between choice and “duty of care” when residents continue to make unhealthy food choices affecting their physical health. (Publisher abstract)