Promoting The Health And Well Being Of People With Learning Disabilities

This textbook presents a practical guide for new and experienced health or social care staff, helping them promote the health and well-being of people with learning disabilities. Given the considerable demand for mandatory training on supporting people with learning disabilities, especially in England, the book provides a valuable resource for all training courses on working with people with learning disabilities. The chapters are co-written by practitioners and people with learning disabilities and their families, rooting the book in the lived experiences of those concerned. Topics covered include core elements of being happy and healthy, communication, changes in our behaviour when we are unwell, making decisions about our health, accessing health services, how we would want to be treated if we were unwell, the use of psychotropic medication, what a ‘good death’ would be, and how to keep ourselves healthy. In addition, the chapters include narrative examples concerning people with learning disabilities and their families, so as to highlight key points and share best-practice examples. The use of personal reflection is used to consider how we can ensure that people with learning disabilities receive care and support that matches what we would expect for ourselves. Core questions at the end of each chapter ask the reader to reflect on how the chapter content relates to their own work and how they will apply what they have learned. A consistent theme throughout the book is equality of opportunity for people with learning disabilities to achieve good health. There is now substantial evidence that people with learning disabilities have poorer health than the general population, are more likely to have multiple health needs, and can experience difficulties in having their illnesses diagnosed and treated promptly. This book aims to help those supporting people with learning disabilities to achieve more equal outcomes.

This textbook presents a practical guide for new and experienced health or social care staff, helping them promote the health and well-being of people with learning disabilities. Given the considerable demand for mandatory training on supporting people with learning disabilities, especially in England, the book provides a valuable resource for all training courses on working with people with learning disabilities. The chapters are co-written by practitioners and people with learning disabilities and their families, rooting the book in the lived experiences of those concerned. Topics covered include core elements of being happy and healthy, communication, changes in our behaviour when we are unwell, making decisions about our health, accessing health services, how we would want to be treated if we were unwell, the use of psychotropic medication, what a ‘good death’ would be, and how to keep ourselves healthy. In addition, the chapters include narrative examples concerning people with learning disabilities and their families, so as to highlight key points and share best-practice examples. The use of personal reflection is used to consider how we can ensure that people with learning disabilities receive care and support that matches what we would expect for ourselves. Core questions at the end of each chapter ask the reader to reflect on how the chapter content relates to their own work and how they will apply what they have learned. A consistent theme throughout the book is equality of opportunity for people with learning disabilities to achieve good health. There is now substantial evidence that people with learning disabilities have poorer health than the general population, are more likely to have multiple health needs, and can experience difficulties in having their illnesses diagnosed and treated promptly. This book aims to help those supporting people with learning disabilities to achieve more equal outcomes.

People with learning disabilities are affected by significantly more health problems than the general population and are much more likely to have significant health risks. Yet evidence suggests they are not receiving the same level of health education and health promotion opportunities as other members of society. This important, interdisciplinary book is aimed at increasing professional awareness of the importance of health promotion activities for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Written by an international board of experts, it is a thorough and comprehensive guide for students, professionals and carers. The book considers a variety of challenges faced by those with intellectual disabilities, from physical illnesses such as diabetes, epilepsy and sexual health issues, through to issues such as addiction, mental health and ageing. Contributors: Jim Blair, Penny Blake, Malin Broberg, Michael Brown, Eddie Chaplin, Bob Davies, Gillian Eastgate, Paul Fleming, Dora Fisher, Linda Goddard, Tamar Heller, John Heng, Thanos Karatzias, Mike Kerr, Nick Lennox, Tadhg MacIntyre, Beth Marks, Jane McCarthy,Judith Moyle,Karen Nankervis,Ruth Northway, Joseph O'Grady, Renee Proulx, Janet Robertson, Cathy Ross, Jasmina Sisirak, Eamonn Slevin, David S Stewart, William F. Sullivan, Beverley Temple, Hana Válková , Henny van Schrojenstein Lantman-de Valk. "I highly recommend this book to anyone working directly with people with an intellectual disability as well as professionals, academics and students who strive to promote issues and improve the lives of people with intellectual disabilities and their families." Agnes Lunny OBE, Chief Executive of Positive Futures, Northern Ireland "The editors and authors have done practitioners a great favour in bringing together in one volume a comprehensive account of how children and adults with intellectual disabilities can be supported to lead healthier lives." Roy McConkey, Professor of Developmental Disabilities, University of Ulster, Northern Ireland "This timely and important book synthesises current knowledge about health promotion interventions for people with intellectual disabilities. Written by leading researchers and practitioners, it should be on the bookshelves of everyone concerned with addressing the stark inequalities in health experienced by people with intellectual disabilities around the world." Eric Emerson, Professor of Disability Population Health, University of Sydney, Australia and Emeritus Professor of Disability and Health Research, Lancaster University, UK "This book is current and different from other textbooks I have used before. The book is pitched at a very easy to understand level and any healthcare professional or student working with people with intellectual and developmental disabilities can use it. The content is very up to date and relevant. The use of comprehensive authors with differing backgrounds demonstrates the textbook has a wide range of expertise and knowledge packed into it that makes the book very relevant learning disabilities practice. I will definitely be recommending this textbook to undergraduate nursing students in Learning Disabilities." Dorothy Kupara – Lecturer in Learning Disabilities Nursing, University of West London.

Many practitioners within health and social care come into contact with people with intellectual disabilities and want to work in ways that are beneficial to them by making reasonable adjustments in order to meet clients’ needs and expectations. Yet the health and wellbeing of people with learning disabilities continues to be a neglected area, where unnecessary suffering and premature deaths continue to prevail. This text provides a comprehensive insight into intellectual disability healthcare. It is aimed at those who are training in the field of intellectual disability nursing and also untrained practitioners who work in both health and social care settings. Divided into five sections, it explores how a wide range of biological, health, psychological and social barriers impact upon people with learning disability, and includes: Six guiding principles used to adjust, plan and develop meaningful and accessible health and social services Assessment, screening and diagnosis of intellectual disability across the life course Addressing lifelong health needs Psychological and psychotherapeutic issues, including sexuality, behavioural and mental health needs, bereavement, and ethical concerns. The changing professional roles and models of meeting the needs of people with intellectual and learning disabilities. Intellectual Disability in Health and Social Care provides a wide-ranging overview of what learning disability professionals’ roles are and provides insight into what health and social care practitioners might do to assist someone with intellectual disabilities when specific needs arise.

Supporting the Emotional Well-being of Children and Young People with Learning Disabilities is an essential and practical resource for helping children with severe and complex learning difficulties, their classmates, their teachers and the schools that they attend. The highly adaptable materials, activities and ideas presented in this book will be useful both in the classroom and in staff training to promote understanding of emotional well-being and mental health of all pupils who may need support. Fox, Laverty and Chowdhury cover a range of topics that engage with the school as a whole, inclusive classrooms and the individual student. Their frameworks and practical suggestions aid teachers to support the well-being and mental health of students in a variety of ways, with material tailored for classrooms and the individual student. Supporting the Emotional Well-being of Children and Young People with Learning Disabilities is a comprehensive resource for teachers and management in special needs schools, recognising current government policies and helping teachers to understand and appropriately engage with students as individuals and as classes.

Introduction to Mental Health and Mental Well-being for Staff Supporting Adults with Intellectual Disabilities is a training and self study resource which has been developed for a range of care and support staff who work with adults with intellectual disabilities and provides a full day's training. It aims to provide learners with an understanding of the mental health needs of this population and to promote mental health and wellbeing. The materials will also be of value to clinicians and support professionals relatively new to either mental health or intellectual disability, as well as students undertaking relevant courses. Through video clips and exercises, the materials give voice to the experiences and insights of people with intellectual disabilities who experience mental health issues. The resource includes slides and other online resources, guided self-learning and a separate Pavilion reader 'An Introduction to Supporting the Mental Health of People with Intellectual Disabilities' in digital format. Published in association with The Estia Centre, London South Bank University and Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust

Written by an experienced team of practitioners and scholars, this text attempts to fill the gap in texts that specifically address the needs of Learning Disabilities (LD) students in the socioemotional and mental health domains. By providing a foundational understanding of some of the salient issues facing students with learning disabilities, we hope to empower all of those who are working to ensure their success by providing the particular challenges that LD students and their families may face, and strategies and best practices for building creativity, resiliency, prosocial behavior, and positive mental health. As a practitioner and family-oriented text, this book seeks to offer a truncated review of relevant literature followed by suggestions to guide practice.