Common health problems that social care
staff should be aware of
Health in people with learning disabilities
People with learning disabilities have poorer health than other people and die
younger.
There are certain health problems that they are more likely to have than other people.
Social care staff should be aware of these health problems and how to support the person to manage them and get good treatment when necessary.
Common health problems to be aware of
Epilepsy is more than 20 times more common in people with learning disabilities than people without. It is one of the most common reasons for avoidable hospital admissions for people with learning disabilities.
People with epilepsy who also have learning disabilities are less likely to have it well controlled than others and some do not get the regular reviews they need.
Guidance from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) says that people with learning disabilities should have the same access to treatment as everyone else.
Respiratory disease (disease of the airways or lungs) is the main
cause of
death in people with learning disabilities. That means it is very important that
people with learning disabilities have an annual flu jab. People with learning
disabilities can get a free flu jab at their GP surgery. There is more information
about this here.
Dysphagia means swallowing difficulties. Nearly one in ten people with learning disabilities have difficulty swallowing. Lack of teeth for biting and chewing food often makes this worse. This can cause three sorts of problem: choking, chest infections from food or drink ‘going down the wrong way’ into their lungs, and malnutrition. People with learning disabilities commonly die from these problems.
Swallowing problems can be managed several ways. These include choosing
appropriate foods and learning about the importance of eating slowly and
chewing properly. In some cases, people need to be fed through a tube into their stomach (PEG feeding).
If people have problems swallowing, this problem needs to be assessed and monitored. This is usually done mainly by speech and language therapists. It is important that social care staff are confident they have the right advice about how to manage eating problems in people they are caring for and can give the right support to make sure they are eating and drinking safely.
Constipation is a common problem in people with learning disabilities. They are more likely to have constipation because of lack of exercise, poor diet and side effects of medication.
Untreated constipation can be extremely painful and very serious. This can cause challenging behavior and is likely to prevent people doing the things they normally enjoy. In the worst cases it can lead to death. In looking after a person with learning disabilities it is important that someone knows whether they are managing to have their bowels open reasonably regularly and without difficulty. It is particularly important to keep a check this if they are put on new medicines. If there are problems these should be discussed with a GP.
Diabetes needs regular attention. People with diabetes need to be careful with their diet, take medication either as pills or by injections, and monitor their blood sugar. At home, people with learning disabilities are likely to need help with all of these. Help in choosing the right amounts of the right foods and avoiding additional sugar in sweets is particularly important.
In addition to regular monitoring at home, people with diabetes need to have
blood tests and foot and eye checks done regularly, usually at their doctor’s
surgery.
All these are important because poorly controlled diabetes can lead to hospitalization, or to losing limbs or sight because of damage to blood vessels.
Mental health problems are more common in people with learning disabilities.
Depression can be difficult to diagnose in people with more severe learning
disabilities or with communication difficulties. Look out for signs that someone
is depressed, such as weight loss, a change in sleep pattern, or someone
wanting to be alone.
Dementia cannot be cured but its progress can be slowed with anti-dementia drugs. This treatment is more likely to help if a diagnosis is made early.
Diagnosis of dementia in people with learning disabilities is easier if there has been an assessment of how the person functions when they are still healthy.
People with Down’s syndrome are likely to get dementia at a younger age so this should be done from about the age of 30.8 Contact the local community learning disability team to ask about a baseline assessment.
Health in people with learning disabilities
People with learning disabilities have poorer health than other people and die
younger. There are certain health problems that they are more likely to have than other people.
Social care staff should be aware of these health problems and how to support the person to manage them and get good treatment when necessary.
Common health problems to be aware of
Epilepsy is more than 20 times more common in people with learning disabilities than people without. It is one of the most common reasons for avoidable hospital admissions for people with learning disabilities.
People with epilepsy who also have learning disabilities are less likely to have it well controlled than others and some do not get the regular reviews they need.Guidance from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) says that people with learning disabilities should have the same access to treatment as everyone else.
Respiratory disease (disease of the airways or lungs) is the main
Dysphagia means swallowing difficulties. Nearly one in ten people with learning disabilities have difficulty swallowing. Lack of teeth for biting and chewing food often makes this worse. This can cause three sorts of problem: choking, chest infections from food or drink ‘going down the wrong way’ into their lungs, and malnutrition. People with learning disabilities commonly die from these problems.
If people have problems swallowing, this problem needs to be assessed and monitored. This is usually done mainly by speech and language therapists. It is important that social care staff are confident they have the right advice about how to manage eating problems in people they are caring for and can give the right support to make sure they are eating and drinking safely.
Constipation is a common problem in people with learning disabilities. They are more likely to have constipation because of lack of exercise, poor diet and side effects of medication.
Untreated constipation can be extremely painful and very serious. This can cause challenging behavior and is likely to prevent people doing the things they normally enjoy. In the worst cases it can lead to death. In looking after a person with learning disabilities it is important that someone knows whether they are managing to have their bowels open reasonably regularly and without difficulty. It is particularly important to keep a check this if they are put on new medicines. If there are problems these should be discussed with a GP.
Diabetes needs regular attention. People with diabetes need to be careful with their diet, take medication either as pills or by injections, and monitor their blood sugar. At home, people with learning disabilities are likely to need help with all of these. Help in choosing the right amounts of the right foods and avoiding additional sugar in sweets is particularly important.
In addition to regular monitoring at home, people with diabetes need to have
blood tests and foot and eye checks done regularly, usually at their doctor’s
surgery. All these are important because poorly controlled diabetes can lead to hospitalization, or to losing limbs or sight because of damage to blood vessels.
Mental health problems are more common in people with learning disabilities.
Depression can be difficult to diagnose in people with more severe learning
disabilities or with communication difficulties. Look out for signs that someone
is depressed, such as weight loss, a change in sleep pattern, or someone
wanting to be alone. Dementia cannot be cured but its progress can be slowed with anti-dementia drugs. This treatment is more likely to help if a diagnosis is made early.
Diagnosis of dementia in people with learning disabilities is easier if there has been an assessment of how the person functions when they are still healthy.
People with Down’s syndrome are likely to get dementia at a younger age so this should be done from about the age of 30.8 Contact the local community learning disability team to ask about a baseline assessment.
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