Editorial

Living life to the full and be supported to have a comfortable death

Supporting clients to live a life as full as it can possibly be, but also to have a good death when the time comes, is a challenge that Nicky Lyall and her team are tackling


Nicky Lyall (centre) and the Doing It My Way team. Picture: John Houlihan

Learning development adviser Nicky Lyall and her Doing It My Way team have produced a teaching and support package for staff and a guide for carers on what to do at certain points in a person’s life. The focus is on health and enjoying life to the full, including regular medication reviews, but it also covers issues with attitudes and language. The result is clients who are supported in having a comfortable death and staff who are happier in their work. 

A review following the Winterbourne View scandal in 2011 led a team in the Midlands to overhaul the way care is provided to avoid hospital admissions where possible.

One-to-one intensive support

What they have come up with is a community-based rapid response team offering intensive support to people so they can continue living in their own homes. The emphasis is on a thorough behaviour assessment and one-to-one intensive support to avoid the individual being admitted to hospital.

The change is working, with the number of admissions to hospital for people with learning disabilities and/or autism being halved and the average monthly occupied bed days reduced by about 200 within a year.

Learning Disability Practice conference

Finally, if you have not booked your place there may still be time to attend this year’s Learning Disability Practice conference in Manchester on 10 October. 

Speakers lined up include NHS Improvement’s David Harling on quality standards and ‘always events’, senior lecturer Jim Ridley on ageing, and Carl Shaw on the Stopping the Over-Medication of People with learning disabilities initiative. 

For more information go to regonline.com/ldpconference2017

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