Hear page | Accessibility | Log in | Register

This page was written by

Sue Turner

Frequently asked questions - self advocates

Question-4

This section has questions that self-advocates often ask us. We would like to thank the National Advisory Group and our Advisory group for their help with the questions.
To make the writing bigger - press the accessibility button at the top of the page on the left. You can then choose how big you want the writing to be. If you are logged in, the website will remember what you want so you don't have to do it again.

Valuing People Now

What are ‘learning disabilities’?

This is how Mencap describes learning disability:

'A learning disability is caused by the way the brain develops. There are many different types and most develop before a baby is born, during birth or because of a serious illness in early childhood.'

A learning disability is lifelong. A person might have a mild, moderate or severe learning disability, which will affect the amount of support they need in their day-to-day life. People with a learning disability find it harder than others to learn, understand and communicate.

A learning disability is not a mental illness. It is also different to a learning difficulty, which is often used to describe things like dyslexia.

Back to top of page

BPwoman2

How do I get a health check?

If you are known to social services, you should be offered a health check by your family doctor. If you are not offered a health check, it may be because your doctor is not part of something called a Directed Enhanced Service (DES). You can ask your doctor about this. If they are not part of the DES, you can ask if another doctor can do your health check. Health checks are important, as they can help find out if you have a health problem. The health problem can then be treated. We wrote some easy read guidance about getting more and better health checks. There is a story written by Tracey about how she supported her husband to get a health check. The story could be helpful for you and your doctor. The story is attached below.

Back to top of page

Tracey Story
DOCX Tracey Story.docx
Microsoft Word 2007 file - 16 kb		Downloaded: 6 times
Uploaded: 2011-11-30 16:34:24
Email to a friend
Years

How often should I have a health check?

You should have a health check every year. But, if you think you have a health problem, you should not wait for your health check. You should make an appointment with your doctor to talk about it.

Back to top of page

Health Action Plan2

How can I get a Health Action Plan?

It depends where you live. In some places the learning disabiity community team, or health facilitator can help you with a Health Action Plan (HAP). If you live in residential care or supported living, your support worker may help you. You can ask about how you get a health action plan where you live. For example, Sheffield has some good information about HAPs and an example of a HAP on their website. There are also examples of HAPs on the easyhealth website, and examples of HAPs on the picture of health website. When you have a health check with your doctor, the doctor should tell you what health actions you need to take. The doctor may fill out a form. This should become part of your HAP.

Back to top of page

Health Leaflets

How do I get easy read information about health?

The easy health website has lots of easy read health information. The picture of health website also has lots of easy read health information. A lot of local health services will have easy read health information too. It is good to ask your local health service if they can give you easy read information. They should do this because of something called the Equalities Act 2010.

Back to top of page

Asthma Inhaler

Where can I find easy read information about asthma?

There are some leaflets about asthma on the easyhealth website.

Back to top of page

Older Couple

Where can I find easy read information about dementia?

There are some leaflets on the easyhealth website. There is also a video on the easyhealth website. There is a leaflet on our reasonable adjustments database.

Back to top of page

Insulin

Where can I find easy read information about diabetes?

There are some leaflets on the easyhealth website. There are also some videos on the easyhealth website. There is a diabetes Health Action Plan on the Improving Health and Lives Reasonable Adjustments Database.

Back to top of page

Eyetest3

Where can I find easy read information about getting my eyes checked?

SeeAbility has some easy read leaflets on their website. A picture of health has some information on their website.

Back to top of page

Healthy

Where can I find easy read information about healthy eating and obesity (being fat)?

There are some leaflets on the easy health website. There are some leaflets on the picture of health website.

Back to top of page

Upset6

Where can I find easy read information about mental health?

There are some leaflets on the easyhealth website. There is lots of information on the Picture of Health website.

Back to top of page

Place Hospital

What support can I get if I am going into hospital?

Hospitals should put reasonable ajustments in place so that you can get the care you need. Reasonable adjustments are changes that can be made to services so that disabled people can use them like everyone else. We wrote some guidance on reasonable adjustments. The easy read version is on our website.

If is helpful if you have a hospital or patient passport. This can help the staff in the hospital know how to care for you. There are some examples on the reasonable adjustments data base.

There is lots of information about going to hospital on the easy health website. there is lots of information about going to hospital on the picture of health website.

A lot of hospitals have a learning disabilities acute liaison nurse. Their role is to work with the staff so that they provide better care for people with learning disabilities. You can ask if your hospital has an acute liaison nurse.

A lot of hospitals have signed the Mencap Getting it Right charter. The charter says what the hospital has agreed to do to give better care to people with learning disabilities.

Back to top of page

Look Close1

What is HealthWatch?

The plan is for HealthWatch to take over from LINKs (Local Implementation Networks) in October 2012. Healthwatch will make sure the things that patients and carers say are used in buying local services, support people and provide advocacy and tell HealthWatch England how good services are.

There is more information about Healthwatch in the easy read document attached below.

Back to top of page

Easyread Healthwatch
PDF easyread healthwatch.pdf
Adobe PDF file - 2.1 Mb		Downloaded: 10 times
Uploaded: 2011-12-02 13:58:05
Email to a friend
Group-33

What is a clinical commissioning group?

Clinical Commissioning Groups will take over buying (commissioning) health services from Primary Care Trusts (PCTs) in April 2013. They will be made up of family doctors and other clinicians. Clinical Commissioning Groups should listen to patients and the public, as well as other health professionals when they commission services.

Back to top of page

Meeting Table1

How do I join a Patient Participation Group?

  1. Ask the practice staff if they have a patient participation group and how you can join it.
  2. If they have one ask if you can come the next meeting. You may need to speak to the practice manager
  3. When you attend let the person who is chairing the meeting know you are new.

Back to top of page