Supporting someone with a learning disability

Supporting someone with a learning disability

Northumberland Tyne & Wear NHS Foundation Trust have produced an easy read patient information leaflet entitled Advance Decisions and Advance Statements: Making choices about your care and treatment, a copy of which can be found here

Sunderland Learning Disability Services have worked closely with colleagues in palliative care to make sure they share the knowledge and experience…developing information that is easy to understand about becoming poorly and maybe reaching the end of your life.  They have also developed what they call My End of Life Booklet.  Its a good idea to fill this in when you are well so that in the future people who love and care for you will know what you wanted when you are no longer there.  Please follow this link for their information on reaching the end of life.  This is excellent information for people with learning disabilities, their families and all carers.  There are three further leaflets available and also a word bank that aims to explain complicated words.

Marie Curie provides a selection of easy read booklets to support those living with or having an illness they will probably die from.  Please follow this link to find these booklets on their website.

Understanding the patient experience – Margaret’s story

These films aim to provide education and increase awareness, allowing people to think about their individual rolls within health or social care and how and when they offer support to individuals.

We are immensely grateful to Margaret for sharing her story and giving us the opportunity to stop and think about how we can better support and work with people with a learning disability.

These films are aimed at people working within: primary and secondary care, social care and third sector organisations who support individuals with a learning disability.

To view the full length version of Margaret’s story (approximately 11 minutes) please click here.

To view the short version of Margaret’s story (approximately 7 minutes) please click here.