Are you a family member, paid carer or clinician looking after someone with a learning disability? A series of lunchtime meetings – Wednesday at One – is exploring factors that impact on the health and life expectancy of people with learning disability. The meetings are open to all and can be accessed via this link: Join Microsoft Teams Meeting.

The series in organised in collaboration by Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust, Oxfordshire Clinical Commissioning Group, Oxfordshire Association of Care Providers, Milton Keynes and Buckinghamshire Care Association, Berkshire Care Association and Oxfordshire Safeguarding Adults Board.

Nurse consultant Simon Jones from Oxford Health said:

“One of the concerning finds from recent studies is that people with a learning disability have a much shorter life expectancy than the general population, in some cases up to 20 years less. There has been much work recently to try to understand why and then to take steps to address. Part of this initiative has been an in-depth annual health check, carrier out by GP’s, to try to identify unidentified health conditions as early as possible.”

“A second initiative was to investigate every death of a person with a learning disability to see whether there were lessons to be learnt. This programme is called LeDeR (Learning Disability Morality Review Programme) and Oxfordshire and Oxford Health have been very active in this programme. As a result, we have identified a number of factors that could be indicative of early mortality, both from our own studies and from the national findings. As part of our proactive work to raise awareness of these issues we have put together a programme of lunchtime talks, aimed at clinicians, families and paid carers. They are open to all; you just need to connect via the link Join Microsoft Teams Meeting.” 

The programme has following talks coming up: 

18 November: Epilepsy – Recognising vulnerability issues with those with epilepsy 

25 November: Personal reflections on lockdown 

2 December: Dysphagia and respiratory deaths 

9 December: End of Life care planning

16 December: Functional Analysis

See the programme for further details – but they are easy to remember: Wednesday at One.