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Assessing the health of older adults with intellectual disabilities: a user led approach
- Authors:
- FENDER Aileen, MARSDEN Lou, STARR John M.
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Intellectual Disabilities, 11(3), September 2007, pp.223-239.
- Publisher:
- Sage
- Place of publication:
- London
Older adults with intellectual disability are at increased risk of a wide range of health problems. Hitherto, methods to assess these problems have been healthcare-professional-led and largely based on traditional medical models. Following a literature review and focus group work we produced a user-led health assessment that was feasible and acceptable. The assessment was administered to 57 adults with a wide range of intellectual disability aged 40 years and over, living in the community. The assessment took a median of 21 minutes to administer and covered user-led themes of participation/ability, nutrition and hygiene/self-care. A principal component representing a user-led general health measure correlated positively with the number of health problems and the number of drugs. Further studies using such user-led assessments are needed to assess whether they can have a wider application.
The health role of local area coordinators in Scotland: a mixed methods study
- Authors:
- BROWN Michael, KARATZIAS Thanos, O'LEARY Lisa
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Intellectual Disabilities, 17(4), 2013, pp.387-402.
- Publisher:
- Sage
- Place of publication:
- London
The study set out to explore whether local area coordinators (LACs) and their managers view the health role of LACs as an essential component of their work and identify the health-related activities undertaken by LACs in Scotland. A mixed methods cross-sectional phenomenological study involving local authority service managers (n = 25) and LACs (n = 40) was adopted. Quantitative data from LACs were obtained using online and postal questionnaires. Qualitative data from local authority service managers and LACs were collected using one-to-one interviews and focus groups. Thematic analysis was undertaken of the qualitative data. The results indicate that there is a need to develop further the wider public health role of LACs to incorporate health-related activities focused on broader community-based outcomes such as empowerment and community integration. By adopting a public health role, LACs will be able to contribute to the reduction of health inequalities in people with learning disabilities. (Publisher abstract)
Inconsistencies in the roles of family- and paid- carers in monitoring health issues in people with learning disabilities: some implications for the integration of health and social care
- Author:
- WILLIS Diane S.
- Journal article citation:
- British Journal of Learning Disabilities, 43(1), 2015, pp.24-31.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
Changes in the living circumstances of people with learning disabilities have seen responsibility for their health become the provenance of paid-and family-carers. As part of a larger study exploring breast cancer screening in women with learning disabilities, thirteen semi-structured interviews were conducted with three family-carers and ten paid-carers. Interview topics covered demographics, keeping healthy, the experience of breast screening and decision-making. Findings revealed that the role of these carers was undefined, leading to difficulty in deciphering who was responsible for the health care of the people they supported, with some paid-carers claiming that health was out of their remit. The difficulty of monitoring health problems of people with learning disabilities was noted, and carers disclosed skills and techniques that they used to explain health messages to individuals. If the health needs of people with learning disabilities are to be met, then a more consistent approach to health care within the community setting is needed, especially in terms of the remit of paid-and family-carers and with the integration of health and social services. (Publisher abstract)
The importance of good quality services for people with complex health needs
- Author:
- CAMPBELL Martin
- Journal article citation:
- British Journal of Learning Disabilities, 36(1), March 2008, pp.32-37.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
This article describes the use of a set of evidence-based quality indicators to assess performance by 15 NHS Boards across Scotland in a national review, with a particular focus on the quality of services for people with complex health needs. Evidence based best practice and evaluative data from previous inspections were used to develop Quality Indicators in four domains. Areas reviewed were: involvement of children and adults with learning disabilities and carers in service planning; meeting complex health needs; inpatient/hospital services and planning services/partnership working. A connection between the group of quality indicators used to assess performance in ‘meeting complex health needs’ and overall measures of quality was observed. The importance of good quality services for people with complex health needs is discussed in light of these results.
Themed visit to hospital units for the assessment and treatment of people with learning disabilities
- Author:
- MENTAL WELFARE COMMISSION FOR SCOTLAND
- Publisher:
- Mental Welfare Commission for Scotland
- Publication year:
- 2012
- Pagination:
- 33p.
- Place of publication:
- Edinburgh
There has been widespread closure of long stay hospitals for people with learning disabilities. Today, excluding forensic beds, there are fewer than 240 people in acute and longer stay assessment and treatment beds in Scotland. However it is recognised that there is a need for a small number of inpatient beds for those with specialised or complex needs which cannot be met in the community. This report presents the findings of visits from June 2011 to September 2011 to all 20 hospital units (19 NHS and 1 private hospital) for the assessment and treatment of people with learning disabilities. Information was gathered from Clinical Service Managers, staff, service users, care plans and other records, and relatives. The care and treatment of 113 people was looked at. There were 4 general areas of enquiry: health needs; rights and restrictions; quality of life; and participation and involvement. The findings were mainly positive. A number of key messages and recommendations are provided based on these findings, and areas of best practice are highlighted.
Down syndrome health screening: the Fife model
- Authors:
- JONES Jill, et al
- Journal article citation:
- British Journal of Learning Disabilities, 38(1), March 2010, pp.5-9.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
People with Down syndrome have a greater risk of developing a range of health problems, including cardiac problems, thyroid disorders, sensory impairments, reduced muscle tone (hypotonia) and Alzheimer's disease. Despite this increased risk, regular screening is not typically offered to individuals with Down syndrome. A multidisciplinary health screening clinic was set up by a Community Learning Disability Team in Fife to offer regular health screening to people with Down syndrome. The format of the clinic, outcomes after 18 months and future service developments are discussed.
Cost estimation of a health-check intervention for adults with intellectual disabilities in the UK
- Authors:
- ROMEO R., et al
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Intellectual Disability Research, 53(5), May 2009, pp.426-439.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
High rates of health needs among adults with intellectual disabilities flag the need for information about the economic consequences of strategies to identify and address unmet needs. Health-check interventions are one such strategy, and have been demonstrated to effect health gains over the following 12-month period. However, little is known about their effects on service use and costs, and hence how affordable such interventions are. The authors examined service use patterns and costs over a 12-month period for 50 adult participants with intellectual disabilities who received a health-check intervention and 50 individually matched control participants who received standard care only. The health-check intervention was cheap, and it did not have associated higher costs in terms of service usage. Indeed, mean cost of care for the adults who received standard care only was greater than for the adults who received the health-check intervention. The higher costs were due to differences in unpaid carer support costs. This is the first study to report the associated service use, and costs of a health-check intervention to improve the health of adults with intellectual disabilities and reduce health inequalities. Results suggest this intervention is cheap and affordable compared with standard care, supporting clinical outcome evidence for its introduction into health care policy and implementation. However, further research is needed to confirm this finding with a larger sample.
Promoting health supporting inclusion: healthy lives, part of the community; how nurses and midwives can support children and adults with learning disabilities and their families
- Authors:
- NHS SCOTLAND, SCOTLAND. Scottish Executive
- Publisher:
- NHS Scotland
- Publication year:
- 2003
- Pagination:
- 5p.
The Scottish Government has consulted users people about how to make the health of people with learning disabilities better. The new report about the work of nurses and midwives, “Promoting Health, Supporting Inclusion” outlines what all nurses and midwives can do to help people with learning disabilities stay healthy and happy. Improving the health of people with learning disabilities will help them live the kind of life they want in the community. The Government has already said that people with learning disabilities should be able to take an active part in their communities.
Promoting healthy lifestyles for people with learning disabilities: a survey of provider organisations
- Author:
- TURNER Stephen
- Journal article citation:
- British Journal of Learning Disabilities, 24(4), 1996, pp.138-144.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
Gives the results of a postal survey of UK provider organisations which investigated the nature and organisation of healthy lifestyle initiatives currently being offered to people with learning disabilities. Seventy percent of social services or social work departments in England, Scotland and Wales were represented in the survey.
The mental health of young people looked after by local authorities in Scotland: the report of a survey carried out in 2002/2003 by the Office for National Statistics on behalf of the Scottish Executive
- Authors:
- MELTZER Howard, et al
- Publisher:
- Office for National Statistics,|Stationery Office
- Publication year:
- 2004
- Pagination:
- 233p.
- Place of publication:
- London
This Summary Report provides up-to-date baseline information about the prevalence of mental disorders among 5-15 years olds in Scotland in order to inform policy decisions about the need for child and adolescent mental health services. The main purpose of the survey was to produce rates of three main categories of mental disorder: conduct disorder, hyperactivity and emotional disorders by the characteristics of the children and where they lived. The survey also looked at the impact and burden of children's mental health problems and at their use of health, social and educational services.