Sunday 4 April 2010

Learning Disability week Health 2010

LEARNING DISABILITY AND HEALTH AWARENESS TRAINING PACKAGE.
ACCESS ALL AREAS NOW!
LEARNING DISABILITY AWARENESS TRAINING BY SARA GORMAN, JESSICA BROMLEY AND ANDY HOWELL ON LEARNING DISABILITY HEALTH WEEK 2010,
ON MONDAY 21ST JUNE 2010


Me and Jess will Introduce Andy Howell As our Volunteer on work experience until he get's Self employed. ANDY will be reading a bit about himself in his daft hand writing.

SARA'S INTRODUCTION

In 2008, I wrote a play on how hard it is for people with LD to access work.

In March 2009, I went on a script and screen course to better my writing.

Near to Christmas 2009, I helped Royal Mencap Wolverhampton set up a Disabled writer's group.

I have set up my own business called Access All Areas Now! which can help me raise awareness of learning disability issues.




JESSICA'S INTRODUCTION.

Hi, I am Jessica, I have a learning disability.

I like modelling. I have done 2 runaway shows in the region.

I have been in the Sunday Times as a style st.

In 2009, I traveled to Bulgaria to work with children and adults with Ld.



SARA TALKS ABOUT AIMS AND TARGETS.

To learn what learning disabilities.

To learn about clear information.


WE be raising awareness of health of learning disability.

We understand that not all Health staff in the world will be at our Training session so this Training pack is on my website for all people working in the health of learning disability.

However, if you do work in health, I would like you to send me an email to comment, give your views and tell me what you have learned if anything on this website. Thank you. sarajgorman@googlemail.com


Please tell me in an email what the word learning disability means to you.

DEFINITION

VALUING PEOPLE NOW! IS A NEW PLAN FOR LEARNING DISABILITY IN THE 21 CENTURY.

Valuing PEOPLE NOW! Say learning disability is.

Reduced ability to understand complex information, to learn more skills, to reduce ability to cope doing things without one's support with social functioning and which started before adulthood, with last effect development.

LEARNING DISABILITY.

Learning disability label is a useful purposes, but people with LD always come first.All people wear that label. A label that describes one part of a person but does not capture the whole person.

FACTS 1

LD is how the brain works.

There are many causes of LD but most happen before, during and after a baby is born.

LD can also happen in a injury, illness and may be through diseases.



FACTS 2

A child can be born with LD if certain genes are passed on by a parent.

Downs Syndrome.

Fragile x Syndrome.

Autism Spectrum.

FACTS 3

There are 1.5 million people living with LD in the UK.


Like all people we want different things in our lives but we have different levels of support needs that we need the right support for.

FACTS 4

Most people with LD are treated different to people without, which shouldn't be the case.

We don't have the same choices and control as the rest of society, this needs to get better.

You will come across choice and control in your work, which is the Person centre plan (PCP). You can learn about choice and control from Jill Coleman who is the project manager of a company called Macintyre. Please contract 07825 620339 jill.coleman@macintycharity.org


People with LD face discrimination every day, which is law.


FACTS 5

People with LD are 58 times likely to die under the age of 50 than people without.


80% of Health staff are not trained to treat People with LD.


COMMUNICATION 1

Health is one of all areas of life we raise awareness about. This is why we set up Access All Areas Now! There's a lack of communication and understanding between people with LD and Health staff.

Some if not most people with LD have problems communicating in all and different ways.

Gestures, communication aids and behaviours to let you know what's wrong.


COMMUNICATION 2

SOME WAYS PEOPLE CAN COMMUNICATE.

Using their face.

Making a noise.

Changing their behaviour.

USING speech, symbols and signs.


COMMUNICATION 3 IMPORTANT

MOST PEOPLE WITH LD AVOID HEALTH SERVICES DUE TO A LACK OF COMMUNICATION, UNDERSTANDING AND TREATMENT.


COMMUNICATION 4 IT'S IMPORTANT TO.

To speak clearly and slowly.

Listen to people with LD and the people who support them.

Find out how people communicate.

Use photo symbols.

CONSIDER THE MENTAL CAPACITY AND LEARNING DISABILITY DISCRIMINATION ACT. THIS IS LAW !!!!!!!


HEALTH STAFF NEED TO FIND OUT AND LEARN ABOUT THE HEALTH ACTION PLAN.

IF YOU GET IT RIGHT FOR PEOPLE WITH LD, YOU WILL GET IT RIGHT FOR EVERYONE.

I WOULD LIKE TO SAY THAT YOU ARE WELCOME TO READ THIS WEBSITE IF YOU WANT TO. IF YOU WORK IN THE HEALTH PROFESSION, I WOULD LIKE TO HEAR FROM YOU, IF YOU ARE READING MY HEALTH REPORTS. PLEASE EMAIL ME ON sarajgorman@googlemail.com. THANK YOU. PLEASE MAKE ANY COMMENTS VIEWS AND TELL ME WHAT YOU HAVE LEARNED IF YOU HAVE. TELL ME WHAT YOU WANT TO ABOUT THE HEALTH OF LD.I HOPE YOU WILL LEARN A LOT ABOUT THE HEALTH OF LD ON MY HEALTH REPORTS ON MY WEBSITE. IS THE HEALTH OF LEARNING DISABILITY FIELD FOR? OR NOT? IF SO YOU HAVE A LOT OF HARD WORK TO DO AND LEARN AS WE ARE MORE VULNERABLE TO OUR HEALTH THAN PEOPLE WITHOUT LD ARE. JUST A REMINDER OF THIS WEBSITE sararevealed.blogspot.com/



'ACCESS ALL AREAS NOW!'

NOW WE ARE ACCESS ALL AREAS NOW!`

WE WANT TO TRAIN ALL PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND WHAT PEOPLE WITH LEARNING DISABILITIES CAN DO GIVEN THE CHANCE LIKE EVERYONE.

FOR INFORMATION PLEASE CONTRACT SARA GORMAN/JESSICA BROMLEY 0777183653.

DAVE PIKE OUR WORK SUPPORTER WILL BE TAKING OUR CALLS AS WE HAVE NOT GOT ANY BUSINESS PHONES JUST YET.


Health has been chosen for learning disability because of the Death
Indifference report 2007.


Health is important but the health in people with LD and Health problems are twice as important.


This is because a lot of us with learning disabilities have got Health problems linked to our disabilities anyway so many of us need more support looking after our health. Health problems and LD come together it can be one or the other in some people.


Not all of us get support or some of us don't get enough of it.


On the other hand we need a balance between support and independent as much as people without learning disabilities.


If information is easy for us to read and understand then we may be able to read and understand it without help.


Some of us can't read so we may need more of pictures than writing that tells us what we need to understand.

In the case of health for eg; there might be a people with disabilities and Health who don't have support. Some medications may have dangerous side effects or people may over dose themselves by mistake if the information isn't clear enough for them for read and understand. PLEASE BE AWARE OF THAT!


He or she may not understand the GP'S handwriting they may need large print and pictures typed up on the computer.


There needs to be a clear diet and exercise plan for people with learning disabilities with easy words and pictures.


Diet isn't just about losing weight.

People with different disabilities and Health problems can only eat and drink certain drinks and foods due to the conditions, illnesses and etc we may have.


This can be very confusing for people with learning disabilities mainly when we need to lose weight and if we have Health problems as well so GPS need to type out accessible diet sheets to help people with disabilities eat and exercise more healthy.


If someone hasn't got any, not enough or even the right support it can be very hard for them to do what they are advised to do, this is why things need to be set out as easy as possible for us.


There needs to be more education in schools and colleges for young people and adults with and without learning disabilities to educate and train people with LD to cook and eat healthy food and exercise.


People with learning disabilities and Health problems have to cope with Stress too.


Stress is one of the worse killers today, there seems to be a lot of stress today for everyone over one thing or another.

Many people turn to things bad for their health due to stress for eg; smoking. It can be hard for a lot of people to accept things that they don't want to live with as it is. Bad news is bad enough as it is without it been confusing and stressful.


If we lose something or someone in our live we don't want to lose. Whether like it or not it happens. It's bad enough for people without LD but the stress can make people with Ld more ill. Another example is relationship break ups, family break ups and etc.


I am not saying that people without disabilities don't stuffer their problems but people with disabilities have our own stresses without anything on our minds, that's own learning disabilities and Health problems things on our minds on top of the problems all people have, can make life even harder to cope with.


We don't except any magic wands but we need more understanding and support to cope with our lives. Thank you.


Back in 1991, my favorite singer Freddie Mercury from Queen died of a Sexual disease called Aids.

I know he didn't have learning disabilities but there's still isn't enough awareness about Sexual diseases in people with learning disabilities.

I am sure Freddie would have liked people with LD and Health problems to get a lot of support for our Sexual Health as much as people without.

Whether we have LD or not we all have feelings.

Freddie was just as ill as people with Ld would be.

There again what people need to understand due to our life Health problems. Other illnesses everyone can have, people with LD can be twice as ill as people without LD. It could make us die quicker because of our LD and the Health problems we may have already.


There needs to be more education on Sexual health that's accessible in schools and colleges.

It can be hard enough teaching young people as it is why education on health is important but people with learning disabilities are slower learners so many of us may need more support to learn.

For eg; some people may not understand why we are advised to use condoms and may even have problems putting them on, mainly if we have problems with our hands.In my case with problems griping, without been personal I am lucky that I have had partners who knew how to put them on.

There still needs to be more education on choices, pregnancy, conception, support and etc.

In March 2009, Jade Goody died of Cervical cancer, this is just an example of many young people who have died of cancer.

I want to raise awareness of Cervical cancer.

We all know it's right to have Smears to get ourselves checked out.

Many women could be scared of having Swears if they have suffered rape and Sexual abuse at any time during our lives. This can have the same big affects on our lives as much females without LD.

May be counseling should be advised to females if they fear swears due to the bad experiences we may have had. Most of us may feel as if we can't go through smears so there needs be support for us to cope with our fears.

Information should be accessible for all females not just females with learning disabilities mainly when we have been through rape and Sexual abuse at any time during our lives, this can put a big affect on any female's life, body and mind. We understand males have suffered sexual abuse and rape as well, which we must raise awareness of these kind of things for males with and without LD.

There's still not enough awareness of people with learning disabilities who have cancer.

I had cancer of the throat at the age of 23, even though I was very lucky it didn't spread to any other part of my body but even though the treatment knocked me about I was lucky to get better. Here's a person LD who didn't better from cancer but could if Health staff looked after better. I don't think they looked after her at all.

Emma who was written about in the Death Indifference report in 2007 had cancer. She died because she died unnecessary because she didn't respond to the treatment the doctor was giving her, due the fact she found it hard to communicate. May be there could have been a chance that Emma's cancer could have been cured.

There's still a 50/50 chance that people can pull through cancer.

It seemed as if the doctors couldn't be bothered with Emma because of her learning disabilities. The doctors needed to try a lot harder to save Emma.

Access All Areas Now! will be playing a DVD of what we have been through with our Health and Health staff who should have looked after us more. This Play is done by a Self Advocacy group support by Mencap called Our Shout, which myself, Andy and Jess are apart of.

Myself, Jessica, ( Andy?) from Access All Areas Now! will be giving you a free training session on raising raising awareness of Learning Disability and Health.

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