Staying healthy

What help is available to stay healthy?

People with a learning disability may have poor physical and mental health and may struggle to communicate this effectively to others.  Annual health checks are for adults and young people aged 14 or over who have a learning disability.

You can ask your GP to carry out an annual health check for the person you support.

An annual health check will help the person you support stay well by talking about their health and finding problems early so they get the right care.

 

Lots of people with learning disabilities have difficulties with communication. A communication passport provides key information and recommendations to support people with complex communication difficulties.

If a referral is made to the Speech and Language Therapist Service, they can create a communication passport for the person you support.

The communication passport will describe how the person you support communicates and provide recommendations to support them to communicate effectively.

Good communication helps people to:

  • understand
  • express themselves
  • make choices and decisions
  • do more things for themselves
  • have more control of their lives
  • stay safe
  • be included
  • enjoy being with other people.

A health action plan will tell you or your carers what needs to be done to keep you healthy. It tells you what services and support you may need to live a healthy life.

The plan tells you:

  • how you can look after yourself if you have any problems with your health
  • which foods are good for you
  • what exercises are good for you
  • how to be safe at home or when you go out
  • when you should go for a check-up for your eyes, ears and teeth.

If you want a health action plan for yourself or the person you support, you can ask the designated health care worker within CLDS for support and advice.

 

 

A hospital passport is a document that provides information about you or the person you support and their health needs. It also contains other useful information, such as their interests, likes, dislikes and preferred method of communication.

Hospital passports can be very useful if you or the person you support has to go into hospital. As well as giving hospital staff details about their health, the other useful information can help staff make them feel more comfortable.

If you want a hospital passport for you or the person you support, you can ask the designated health care worker within CLDS for support and advice.

Find out the importance of physiotherapy to those with learning disabilities.

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