1 / 17

Learning Disability

Learning Disability. Ann Sanders GP West Bar Surgery ann.sanders@tiscali.co.uk. What will I cover?. Definition of learning disability Morbidity and mortality Deficits in care Common medical problems Practicalities Attitudes Communication challenges Capacity.

jesus
Download Presentation

Learning Disability

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Learning Disability Ann Sanders GP West Bar Surgery ann.sanders@tiscali.co.uk

  2. What will I cover? • Definition of learning disability • Morbidity and mortality • Deficits in care • Common medical problems • Practicalities • Attitudes • Communication challenges • Capacity

  3. What is the definition of Learning Disability? • “Significantly reduced ability to • Understand new and complex information • Learn new skills • Cope independently” • Starting <18yrs • IQ 70 often used as cut off

  4. Morbidity and mortality • 2.5 times more medical problems than patients without learning disability • 30% epilepsy, 30% visual impairment, 30% hearing impairment • Significantly reduced life expectancy

  5. Deficits in care 1 • Untreated, yet treatable medical conditions (e.g. eczema, constipation) • Untreated health issues relevant to known condition (e.g. tfts in Downs syndrome)

  6. Deficits in Care 2 • Lack of health promotion (e.g. diet, exercise) • “Diagnostic overshadowing”

  7. Common medical problems 1 • Complex epilepsy • Multiple medications • GI – reflux, helicobacter, constipation • Orthopaedic – joint contractures

  8. Common Medical Problems 2 • Chest infection, aspiration • Obesity, unhealthy lifestyles • Psychological & social – challenging behaviours, anxiety, depression, abuse, dementia

  9. “Valuing People”, 2001 government white paper Introduction of LES/DES – practice register and annual Cardiff health check Health Action Plans Who? How? Where? Practicalities

  10. Case part 1

  11. Conclusions: • Presentation is never straight forward • Always consider • Physical (e.g. GO reflux) • Psychological (e.g. anxiety) • Social (e.g. change in carers)

  12. Case part 2

  13. Attitudes • Personal experience • Fear • Paternalism • Prejudice • Equity

  14. Communication challenges • Intellectual impairment • Visual impairment • Hearing impairment • Interaction with parents/carers

  15. Communication essentials • Time, • Patience, • Commitment & continuity of care • Patient centeredness.

  16. Capacity • Mental Capacity Act • Patients with learning disability are likely to lack capacity • How should decisions be made?

  17. Personal experience: • Cardiff check cumbersome but useful • Mental health neglected • Positive feedback from patients and carers • Good opportunity for health promotion • ‘New’ diagnoses made – major (melanoma) and minor (hay fever) approx 20% cases • £50-£100 per check

More Related