Understanding Learning Disabilities

This is a guide for healthcare staff in Wales and has been put together by Mencap Cymru.

About Mencap Cymru

Mencap Cymru is the voice of Learning Disability in Wales. They have over 40 associated groups, and over 5000 members and supporters.

They provide advice and information to anyone who is affected by learning disabilities.

They operate the Wales Learning Disability Helpline -

0808 808 1111

helpline.wales@mencap.org.uk

This offers impartial support to everyone, including healthcare professionals.

Introduction

Most people do not understand what a learning disability is or what it is caused by. This lack of awareness means that people with learning disabilities are among the most excluded and disadvantaged people in society.

People with a learning disability often have increase health needs, such as respiratory difficulties, obesity, diabetes, epilepsy and heart disease. Despite this, they may receive poorer healthcare than the rest of the population - all because of misconception and a lack of knowledge.

About Learning disabilities

A learning disability is a reduced intellectual ability and difficulty with everyday activities - for example, household tasks, socialising or managing money - which affects someone their whole life.

People with learning disabilities tend to take longer to learn and may need support to develop new skills, understand complex information and interact with other people.

The level of support someone needs depends on individual factors, including the severity of their learning disability. For example, someone with mild learning disability may only need support with things like household bills or finding meaningful activities. Others with severe or profound learning disabilities may need fulltime care and support with everyday aspects of their life - they may also have physical impairments.

Someone with learning disabilities may need more time to think about what you are telling them. They may have limited communication skills, so won't be able to describe problems as well as other patients.

Learning Disabilities and healthcare

In recent years, Mencap has highlighted a number of examples across the UK where people with learning disabilities have receive poorer healthcare. In worst cases, it's been shown that some people have died, but may have had a better chance of surviving if they had more attention been paid to their needs as a person with a learning disability.

Diagnostic overshadowing can happen when preconceptions around someone's learning disability means that genuine health problems aren't spotted e.g not noticing that someone has had a stroke because it is assumed they can't speak.

Many good initiatives have been introduced in Wales to improve the outcomes for people with a learning disability in the NHS, such as health checks, health passport, and learning disability awareness sessions in hospitals.

10 things for healthcare staff to remember-

1. Give people more time to process information and respond to your questions.

2. Keep question open, and rephrase what you have said if it looks like you hasn't been understood.

3. Don't use jorgon, and explain conditions and procedures clearly.

4. Talk to the person first. Don't only go straight to the family or carer.

5. Involve parents and carers, and listen to them when they have concerns. They are the experts.

6. Read the person's health passport if they have one. In some areas, these are called traffic lights.

7. Think about the mental capacity act. Consult the local lead on mental capacity if you aren't sure of anything.

8. If someone find it hard to explain their symptoms or has limited speech, try using models or diagrams which they can refer to.

9. Invite people with a learning disability and organisations to give ongoing learning disability awareness sessions for you and your colleagues.

10. If you need support, information or are concerned about a patient, call the Wales Learning Disability Helpline on 0808 808 1111.

Thank you guys for reading x