scholarly journals Ageing and learning disability

2000 ◽  
Vol 176 (1) ◽  
pp. 26-31 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. J. Holland
Keyword(s):  
Learning Disabilities ◽  
Life Expectancy ◽  
Learning Disability ◽  
Social Care ◽  
Developmental Process ◽  
Social Issues ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Severe Disabilities ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Health And Social Care

BackgroundAgeing is a continuation of the developmental process and is influenced by genetic and other biological factors as well as personal and social circumstances.AimsTo identify some key biological, psychological and social issues relevant to how ageing might particularly effect people with learning disabilities.MethodThis selected review considers the extent to which there are similarities and differences relative to people without learning disabilities.ResultsThere is a convergence, in later life, between people with a learning disability and those without, owing to the reduced life expectancy of people with more severe disabilities. People with Down's syndrome have particular risks of age-related problems relatively early in life.ConclusionsThe improved life expectancy of people with learning disabilities is well established. There is a lack of a concerted response to ensure that the best possible health and social care is provided for people with learning disabilities in later life.

scholarly journals Does the advice requested by carers of people who live with dementia reflect the level of commissioned post-diagnostic support? A retrospective evaluation of calls to the Me2U dementia day centre 24-hour advice line

BJPsych Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (S1) ◽  
pp. S337-S337
Author(s):  
Rajan Nathan ◽  
Stephen Callaghan ◽  
Kelly Walker ◽  
Angela Mason ◽  
Rosemarie Whittington
Keyword(s):  
Social Care ◽  
Social Issues ◽  
Urgent Care ◽  
Retrospective Evaluation ◽  
Common Time ◽  
Health And Social Care ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Unplanned Admissions ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Diagnostic Support

AimsThe aim was to examine the reasons for advice requests by carers of people who live with dementia (PLWD) that attend the Me2u dementia day centre in order to identify key explanatory themes. We hypothesised that requests were related mainly to coordinating care and clinical issues due to limited post-diagnostic support (PDS) in our area.BackgroundThe Me2u dementia day centre (Merseyside) cares for PLWD and also supports carers. As part of the service, a 24-hour advice line is included for PLWD and their carers who attend the centre. Locally, there is limited PDS and most carers navigate the health and social care system alone mirroring the findings by the National Collaborating Centre for Mental Health (NCCMH).MethodWe undertook a retrospective evaluation of 244 advice calls, from 64 carers, between 01/06/2019 and 31/12/2019. We analysed time of call, type of advice, type of dementia, age and whether the advice was for the PLWD or for the carer.ResultOf the 244 calls, the most common time to call was between 09.00 - 14.00 (n = 168; (68.8%) peak 09.00 - 10.00 (n = 38). Average age of the person about whom the advice was sought was 79.08 years. 91.4% of the advice calls related to PLWD (most common dementia Alzheimer's) and 8.6% to the carer only. The mean number of calls per person was 3.8 (range 1–24).Advice data were grouped into 9 broad themes namely, related to symptoms/behaviour (32.79%, n = 80), request for Me2u to coordinate care (20.08%, n = 49), general advice (14.75%, n = 36), personal care (9.42%, n = 23), carer only advice (8.60%, n = 21), social issues (6.14%, n = 15), social care (4.50%, n = 11), safeguarding (2.46%, n = 6), non-health and social care issue (1.23%, n = 3).ConclusionReasons for limited/poor PDS given by the NCCMH are; absence of named coordinators of care, over-reliance on families and carers to manage and facilitate appointments, poor recognition and management of comorbidities. This data show that 52.87% of calls were for clinical advice and coordination of care reflecting NCCMH findings. The interventions post-call reduced the impact on providers of urgent care.These findings provide support for the provision of a [24-hour] advice line as a routine part of post-diagnostic support services, especially in areas that have limited or poor PDS. Commissioners of PDS services in areas that have limited or poor PDS should make this a priority to prevent unplanned admissions to hospital and carer breakdown.

scholarly journals Why has mortality in England and Wales been increasing? An iterative demographic analysis

2017 ◽  
Vol 110 (4) ◽  
pp. 153-162 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lucinda Hiam ◽  
Danny Dorling ◽  
Dominic Harrison ◽  
Martin McKee
Keyword(s):  
Life Expectancy ◽  
Social Care ◽  
Demographic Analysis ◽  
England And Wales ◽  
Life Expectancy At Birth ◽  
Health And Social Care ◽  
Diagnosis Of Dementia ◽  
Small Decline ◽  
Post War

Objectives To understand why mortality increased in England and Wales in 2015. Design Iterative demographic analysis. Setting England and Wales Participants Population of England and Wales. Main outcome measures Causes and ages at death contributing to life expectancy changes between 2013 and 2015. Results The long-term decline in age-standardised mortality in England and Wales was reversed in 2011. Although there was a small fall in mortality rates between 2013 and 2014, in 2015 we then saw one of the largest increases in deaths in the post-war period. Nonetheless, mortality in 2015 was higher than in any year since 2008. A small decline in life expectancy at birth between 2013 and 2015 was not significant but declines in life expectancy at ages over 60 were. The largest contributors to the observed changes in life expectancy were in those aged over 85 years, with dementias making the greatest contributions in both sexes. However, changes in coding practices and diagnosis of dementia demands caution in interpreting this finding. Conclusions The long-term decline in mortality in England and Wales has reversed, with approximately 30,000 extra deaths compared to what would be expected if the average age-specific death rates in 2006–2014 had continued. These excess deaths are largely in the older population, who are most dependent on health and social care. The major contributor, based on reported causes of death, was dementia but caution was advised in this interpretation. The role of the health and social care system is explored in an accompanying paper.

scholarly journals Health and social care access for adults with learning disabilities across the UK during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020

2021 ◽  
Vol 26 (3) ◽  
pp. 174-179
Author(s):  
Samantha Flynn ◽  
Chris Hatton
Keyword(s):  
Learning Disabilities ◽  
Northern Ireland ◽  
Social Care ◽  
Family Carers ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Care Services ◽  
Health And Social Care ◽  
Adults With Learning Disabilities ◽  
The Uk ◽  
The Impact

Purpose This paper aims to present data about access to health and social care services during the COVID-19 pandemic for adults with learning disabilities across England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. Design/methodology/approach Data were collected directly from 621 adults with learning disabilities and through separate proxy reports by family carers and paid support staff of another 378 adults with learning disabilities. The data were collected between December 2020 and February 2021 and concerned the use of health and social care services since the start of the first COVID-19 national lockdown in March 2020. Findings Access to and use of health and social care services significantly reduced for adults with learning disabilities across the UK during the COVID-19 pandemic between March 2020 and February 2021, with many people not receiving any services at all during that period. Similar patterns were seen across England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. However, data suggest some variations between countries for some services. Practical implications Future pandemic planning must ensure that access to these essential services is not completely lost for adults with learning disabilities and their family carers, as it was in some cases during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Originality/value This is the largest study about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on health and social care services for adults with learning disabilities in the UK. The authors primarily collected data directly from adults with learning disabilities, and worked with partner organisations of people with learning disabilities throughout the study.

Closed cultures in health and social care services

2021 ◽  
Vol 23 (10) ◽  
pp. 1-5
Author(s):  
Amanda Halliwell
Keyword(s):  
Learning Disabilities ◽  
Care Setting ◽  
Social Care ◽  
Care Quality ◽  
Service Users ◽  
Care Services ◽  
Health And Social Care

Closed cultures can occur in any health or social care setting and have been shown to harm service users. In practice, risks are higher in services for people with learning disabilities and autism. Amanda Halliwell rounds up the Care Quality Commission's latest reporting in this area.

Mental Health in Later Life

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alisoun Milne
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Older People ◽  
Life Course ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Health Issues ◽  
Mental Health Issues ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Health And Social Care ◽  
Life Course Studies

Focusing on mental health rather than mental illness, this book adopts a life course approach to understanding mental health and wellbeing in later life. Drawing together material from the fields of sociology, psychology, critical social gerontology, the mental health field, and life course studies, it analyses the meaning and determinants of mental health amongst older populations and offers a critical review of existing discourse. The book explores the intersecting influences of lifecourse experiences, social and structural inequalities, socio-political context, history, gender and age-related factors and demands an approach to prevention and resolution that appreciates the embedded, complex and multi-faceted nature of threats to mental health and ways to protect it. It foregrounds engagement with the perspectives and lived experiences of older people, including people living with dementia, and makes the case for a paradigmatic shift in conceptualising, exploring and researching mental health issues and supporting older people with mental health problems. The book is essential reading for policy makers, health and social care professionals and students, third sector agencies, researchers and all of those concerned to more effectively and collaboratively address mental health issues in later life.

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