Healing touch: Using the arts to increase healthy touch between people with PMLD and their carers

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 73-85
Author(s):  
Leonie Elliott-Graves
Keyword(s):  
Learning Disabilities ◽  
Performing Arts ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Pilot Project ◽  
Care Staff ◽  
Service Users ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Healing Touch ◽  
Adults With Learning Disabilities ◽  
Positive Touch

For adults with learning disabilities, touch is a necessary element of their everyday care. Yet touch delivered by care providers is a contentious and marginal practice, which is often avoided due to fears of abuse allegations, and the effects of touch avoidance can be significantly detrimental to the quality of care provided. The Safe Touch pilot project, developed with a London-based organization providing care to adults with learning disabilities, including those with profound and multiple learning disabilities (PMLD), used performing arts practices and massage to help the staff develop and utilize ‘positive’ touch – touch for communication, interaction and well-being – when working with service users. Fifteen service users with learning disabilities and PMLD along with the organization’s staff participated in the project. Drawing on the project’s processes and findings, some successes and limitations in employing performing arts activities with care staff to increase the use of positive touch with people with PMLD were identified.

scholarly journals Using telemonitoring to support personal care planning for adults with learning disabilities

2018 ◽  
Vol 25 (10) ◽  
pp. 602-610 ◽  
Author(s):  
George Bramley ◽  
Catherine Mangan ◽  
Mervyn Conroy
Keyword(s):  
Learning Disabilities ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Theory Of Change ◽  
Care Planning ◽  
Residential Setting ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Care Managers ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Adults With Learning Disabilities ◽  
Just Right

IntroductionWe report on an evaluation of the Just Right approach for planning care for adults with learning disabilities and how it can support culture change. Just Right combines installing a telemonitoring system with training for care managers in person-centred care planning and the interpretation of charts that summarise activity data for their setting. By providing insights into the needs of individuals Just Right allows existing care provision to be reviewed to ensure it is ‘just right’. The Just Right approach can also potentially identify over-care and resources that can released.MethodsA mixed-methods approach was used, triangulating qualitative and quantitative baseline and follow-up data. Qualitative data were collected before and after implementation from focus groups on barriers, enablers, success outcomes and impacts. A theory of change was developed. Detailed data on individual adults with learning disabilities were collected before and after installation of equipment using a linked online survey completed by their care managers.ResultsNine commissioning local authorities were recruited with 33 care providers serving 417 adults with learning disabilities. Issues relating to implementation included staff acceptance, culture, consent, safeguarding, local authority engagement, interpretation of data and residential setting. Changes to care were identified for 20.3% of individuals, with 66% of providers not identifying any changes because Just Right confirmed that they were providing the right level of support.DiscussionBy combining telemonitoring and person-centred care planning, Just Right provides a holistic approach and necessary information for conversations amongst stakeholders about the care needs of adults with learning disabilities. Depending on how it is introduced, and the nature of conversations held, the Just Right approach can potentially change culture, leading to improved outcomes.

scholarly journals Specialist community teams for adults with learning disabilities: referrals to a countywide service in England

2019 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
pp. 41-49
Author(s):  
Isabel C.H. Clare ◽  
Kelly A. Wade ◽  
Nadine Ranke ◽  
Sarah Whitson ◽  
Alison Lillywhite ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Learning Disabilities ◽  
Living Arrangements ◽  
Care Management ◽  
Social Care ◽  
Care Staff ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Integrated Health ◽  
Adults With Learning Disabilities ◽  
The Uk

Purpose While “generic” community teams for adults with learning disabilities (CTs) are well-established in the UK, very little recent evidence is available about any aspect of their work. As part of a larger project about the role, structure and functioning of CTs, the purpose of this paper is to provide data about referrals. Design/methodology/approach Over three months, the authors obtained data about 270 consecutive new referrals to five CTs in a countywide integrated health (NHS) and care management (local authority) service. Findings The 270 referrals related to 255 individuals, mainly already service users, with almost a third (30 per cent, n=204) described as people with severe or profound disabilities. Consistent with the reported living arrangements (residential accommodation or with one or more family members (87 per cent, n=270)), referrals were most often made by social care staff, General Practitioners or carers. The referrals related to a wide range of issues including mental health and/or behavioural needs, physical health and skills, and independence. The major group, however, were requests about a person’s entitlement to specialist learning disability services and/or reviews of an existing social care package. Research limitations/implications The focus on new referrals and the exclusion of intra-team referrals mean that the data are not representative of a CT’s caseload and cannot be used as a basis for resourcing. Nevertheless, the findings emphasise the heterogeneity of the population, and the long-term and varied nature of their needs, meaning that CTs require access to a range of expertise and, often, an inter-agency approach. The implications for service design are considered. Originality/value This is the first empirical study of referrals to specialist integrated (health and care management) community learning disabilities teams in England.

Care Staff Awareness Training on Mental Health Needs of Adults with Learning Disabilities

2004 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 221-234 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Tsiantis ◽  
S. Diareme ◽  
C. Dimitrakaki ◽  
G. Kolaitis ◽  
A. Flios ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Learning Disabilities ◽  
Health Needs ◽  
Care Staff ◽  
Mental Health Needs ◽  
Awareness Training ◽  
Adults With Learning Disabilities

scholarly journals The use of anti-psychotic and other psychotropic medication in a specialist community service for adults with learning disabilities

2018 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 12-21 ◽  
Author(s):  
Isabel C.H. Clare ◽  
Kelly A. Wade ◽  
Sorcha Bolton ◽  
Adam P. Wagner ◽  
Tatsiana Steven ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Learning Disabilities ◽  
Data Collection ◽  
Psychotropic Medication ◽  
Good Practice ◽  
Health Condition ◽  
Service Users ◽  
Mental Health Condition ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Adults With Learning Disabilities

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the extent to which, in the five integrated community teams for adults with learning disabilities (CTLDs) in an English county-wide service, the use of psychotropic medication for service users was based on the presence of an appropriate mental health condition or epilepsy. Design/methodology/approach Adult participants were recruited following referral to one of the CTLDs for assessment, treatment and/or support of a possible mental health and/or behavioural need. Data were collected about participant characteristics and psychotropic medication 12 months after recruitment. Findings While a total of 42 (78 per cent) of the 54 participants were apparently prescribed regular or PRN (as required) psychotropic medication, only 24 (57 per cent) of these individuals had a recorded past or current mental health condition or epilepsy for which such medicine could be appropriate. Research limitations/implications There were several limitations: the sample size was small and its representativeness was uncertain; and data collection was compromised by barriers to explicit knowledge exchange within and across the learning disability service. Practical implications While recent guidance about the use of psychotropic medication is welcome, minimising inappropriate use requires more comprehensive person-centred interventions (including crisis management plans), underpinned by imaginative, but feasible, data collection methods and integrated formulations. Investment is needed in developments that support multi-disciplinary and inter-agency working to promote “good practice” by CTLDs in responding to referrals for possible mental health and/or behavioural needs. Originality/value Complementing recent large studies of primary care (General Practitioner) records, this is the first examination of the use of psychotropic medication by service users in English CTLDs.

Anxiety and Social Adjustment Problems in Adults With Learning Disabilities

2011 ◽  
Author(s):  
Philip J. Uy ◽  
Ren Krinick ◽  
Lana A. Tiersky ◽  
Nuri Ruzi ◽  
Mitchell Slugh
Keyword(s):  
Learning Disabilities ◽  
Social Adjustment ◽  
Adjustment Problems ◽  
Adults With Learning Disabilities

Design Intervention Assessment of Urban Public Park for Physical Activity Promotion in Bangkok, Thailand

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 4-4
Author(s):  
Sigit Arifwidodo ◽  
Orana Chandrasiri
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Urban Landscape ◽  
Physical Activity Promotion ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Pilot Project ◽  
Public Park ◽  
Activity Promotion ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Design Intervention

Public Park is considered one of the essential settings for physical activity, especially in urban areas. Parks support physical activity through their accessibility, their provision to facilitate active pursuits; their capacity to provide opportunities to a wide range of users; and their semi-permanent nature. The paper explores the design intervention assessment of Benchakitti Park, which serves as the pilot project for active park and showcase during the past ISPAH 2016 conference. The objective of the paper is to understand the health and well-being benefits of an urban park in increasing PA levels of urban population and promoting a healthy and active lifestyle. Keywords: Public park; physical activity; urban landscape design; public health; SOPARC

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