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How to stay healthy

How to stay healthy | Learning disabilities

Watch this video: The Purple All-Stars Check it out!

It is really important to take care of our health and look for any changes in our bodies.

On this page you can find some ways to look after your health. The learning disability nurses can help you with this too.

Stay Healthy at Home Checklist (PDF 750Kb)

This checklist is given to people by Doctors as part of the Annual Health Check. You can print and use it to help you stay healthy at home.

Breast Checking

It is important to check your breasts (or breast tissue if you're a man) for changes and tell your doctor about any changes. Everyone with a learning disability can keep an eye on their breasts.

Breast Checking Guide (PDF 329Kb)

This guide includes information for carers on how to help anyone with a learning disability know their breasts and keep an eye on them.

The learning disability nurses have breast models to help you too.

iStock-863573172_symbol of love and sexuality

Testicles (Balls) Checking

It is important to check your testicles (balls) for changes and tell the doctor about changes.

Testicles (Balls) Checking Guide (PDF 224Kb)

This guide includes information for carers on how to help anyone with a learning disability know their testicles and how to keep an eye on them.

The learning disability nurses have testicle models to help you too.

Wee (Urine) Checking

It is very important to drink lots of water to keep your body healthy. The colour of your wee can say a lot about your health.

Easy Read: Wee (Urine) Colour Chart

This chart shows you what colour your wee should be. You can print it and put it near your toilet as a reminder to check and get help if you need it.

Staying Hydrated Guide (PDF 405Kb)

Ask someone who helps you to explain how to stay hydrated.

Watch this video: Bristol Stool Chart and healthy poo explained for people with learning disabilities.

Supporting someone with a learning disability to complete a bowel screening.

Poo Checking

Easy read: Know your poo (PDF 177Kb)

Knowing what your poo should look like is really important.

You can print this guide and put it near your toilet to remind you to check your poo and get help if things change.

Make sure you tell the doctor if you have changes to how often you poo or what they are like.

Bowel movement record chart (PDF 215Kb)

Use this chart if you are someone who gets constipated. It can be a good idea to keep a record to show your doctor. Constipation is when you have not had a poo for 3 days.

More information on understanding constipation:

NHS England resources

Picture story: Understanding constipation (PDF 1.7Mb)

Easy read: Information about constipation (PDF 764Kb)

The learning disability nurses have poo models to help you understand bowel health.

Cancer Screening

The 3 screening guides in this section contain information on how to help anyone with a learning disability understand:

the importance of a bowel/ breast/cervical screening
what help the Health Equality Nurse can give to access a screening in Herts.

Watch this video: Bowel screening for people with a learning disability.

Bowel Screening – For all people who are 50 and over

Bowel Screening Guide (PDF 230Kb)

Bowel screening is where a tiny sample of your poo is looked at to find signs of changes that could become cancer.

These changes can be easily treated if found early. It is really important to do the bowel screening kit when it is sent to you in the post. You will get this every 2 years from the age of 60.

The NHS is lowering the age of bowel screening slowly over the next few years, so you may be asked to do yours before you are 60.

Breast Screening - For women aged 50 and over.

Breast Screening Guide (PDF 256Kb)

1 in every 7 women in the UK will get breast cancer in their life. It is hard looking for lumps that may be too small to see or feel.

You will get invited to a breast screening every 3 years to catch it early when it can be treated and cured.

Watch this video: Hilary meets Tosin, who is a learning disability nurse explaining what happens at a Cervical Screening Test.

Cervical Screening (Smear Test) - For women aged 25 and over.

Cervical Screening Guide (PDF 248Kb)

All women from the age of 25 are invited by their GP surgery for their cervical screening.This is very important.

Cervical screening is looking for early signs of changes that could become cancer if left.

Women with learning disabilities and autism are almost four times less likely to go for cervical cancer screening tests.

More information on understanding cervical screening:

Easy read: Information about cervical screening (PDF 4.2Mb)

Picture story: Understanding cervical screening (PDF 1.9Kb)

Menopause

The menopause is when your periods stop.

The perimenopause is when you have symptoms of the menopause, but your periods have not stopped.

This usually happens when a woman is between 40 and 50 but for some people with a learning disability this is earlier.

Some people find the symptoms really hard to cope with but there are ways your Doctor can help.

Here is an easyread

If you are having symptoms then it is a good idea to complete this record of symptoms – (This is called the MPATH)

Take this to help you talk to your doctor.

Here is a video about sexual health services in Hertfordshire

Sexual Health and Relationships

Sexual health is very important.

There is a sexual health service in Hertfordshire that helps with contraception, to help stop unwanted pregnancies and help with preventing and treating disease caught through having sex.

Information about puberty and growing up.

My body in words and images easy read information.

All about Sepsis

Sepsis is when your body reacts badly to an infection.

It is important to know about sepsis so you can get help quickly.

Here is an easy read leaflet about sepsis.

What if my heart stops

If a doctor has suggested that you have something called a DNA CPR in place it is important that you and the people who support you understand this. Here is a guide to help the people who support you and Here is a leaflet that tells you whether doctors can start your heart beating again if it stops.

When you die the doctors can use parts of you to help someone else to live. If you DO NOT want this to happen you need to tell your doctor. Here is some easyread information about this.

A binder with My Plan written on it and a picture of a person with arrows pointing at them

Planning for End of Life

It is really important to understand what your choices might be if you were to become very unwell.

If you support someone with a learning disability, would you be surprised if they died in the next year? If the answer is ‘No’ then discuss with their GP advanced care planning.

Here’s the document that we use in Hertfordshire when considering advance care planning. It is called the ReSPECT Tool.

Please make sure this is completed correctly – Here it a guide on what is SHOULD and SHOULD NOT say.

This plan should be stored in the Purple Folder once completed.

Bone Health

Bone health is important for everyone – here is a leaflet about keeping your bones healthy.

Here is a leaflet for carers of people with epilepsy about bone health.

Epilepsy

Here is some information about sudden death in epilepsy and how to reduce the risks.

There is a leaflet for family and carers and there is an easy read leaflet for people with a learning disability.

If you need to talk to someone about this you can contact our epilepsy nurses.

Weight Checking

Easy read: Obesity health risks guide (PDF 592Kb)

Being overweight or obese can cause lots of health problems, this is why it is very important to stay a healthy weight. – here is some information about those health problems.

Keeping a record of your weight is very important because weight changes can be because of a health problem. Tell the doctor if your weight changes.

Here is a recording chart to keep a check on your weight and see if you are a healthy weight.

Here is some information for carers about how to weigh people who are in wheelchairs.

Here is link to an NHS site which tells you whether you are a healthy weight

Carer's Guide: Tackle Obesity

Information for carers to help you take some small steps to become a healthier weight.

Diabetes

If you have diabetes, it is very important to stay well.

A good way to keep yourself well is to make sure you attend your diabetes appointments. This is some easy read information about why this is so important: 4233 Check Ups Information Diabetes UK Easy Read v6 (shopify.com)

Graham is a man with a learning disability who has made a video about his experience with diabetes type 2: https://youtu.be/-kJ4u0PYCl4

The learning disability nursing service has made a video with more information about diabetes: https://youtu.be/QRLOiMPA2ds

Help with changes in mood and behaviour

If your mood and behaviours change this sometimes can be because you have a pain or are feeling unwell but cannot explain this.

Here is a checklist for family and carers so they can get the help you need.

Keeping your teeth and gums healthy

Read some easyread information from the NHS about looking after your teeth and going to the dentist.

It is really important to keep your teeth and gums clean and healthy because bad teeth and gums cause other health problems. The Hertfordshire specialist dentist can help with training about looking after your mouth and teeth. Here is some information.

In Hertfordshire, the specialist dental service are here to support people with learning disabilities to go to the dentist. They are very good at helping people overcome fears of going to the dentist and will start by just meeting for a chat.

If you are registered with a Dentist you can ask them to make a referral to the specialist Dental Service for Hertfordshire under HCT.
If you are not registered with a dentist then discuss with your GP because the specialist dental service will consider referrals from other health professionals

Person smiling with 2 arrows pointing at their eyes

Eye health

Adults with a learning disability are 10 times more likely to have serious sight problems than other adults so it is really important to get eyesight checked.

6 out of 10 people need glasses. It is really hard to stay healthy and happy and live a full life when you are struggling to see.

Seeability offers lots of help for people with a learning disability, people who support them and also opticians to be able to carry out eyesight checks on people with learning disabilities.

Have a look at their website. You can download a functional vision assessment to help the optician understand how the person uses their eyesight and make sure they get the best help.

STOMP

This is about making sure the people with a learning disability aren’t being given medication for mood or behaviour, that they might not need anymore.

Here is a leaflet about it.

Sometimes people are scared to let the Doctor reduce medication in case it causes the person to become anxious or angry. We have a STOMP nurse who can help to make sure it is the right time for a change and support all the way through.

Speak to your doctor at your annual health check about your medication.

Or contact the STOMP nurse and she can discuss it with your GP

Dementia and Downs Syndrome

Dementia is something that people with Down Syndrome are more likely to get than other people. There is medication that can really help people, but early diagnosis is really important to get early treatment. Here is some information about the help we offer people with Downs Syndrome from the age of 30, LONG BEFORE they have any signs of dementia.

Carer's checklist (PDF 162kb) - help someone with dementia stay independent for as long as possible.

First Aid at home

For people who look after themselves it is important to know what to do if you get hurt in your own home.

Here is an easyread guide on what first aid you should do if you get hurt in your own home.

NHS England has made this video to help people with a learning disability, autism or both, to use the NHS 111 service. Here is an easyread guide about 111.

Swallowing difficulties

Some people with learning disabilities have trouble swallowing and may cough more often. This means you could be at a high risk of choking.

We have made a social story about Connor, who has Dysphagia which may help you understand better.

There is also an easy read booklet about choking that may be helpful for you.

If you have dysphasia, you could also be at higher risk of aspiration pneumonia.

AAA Screening

All men from the age of 65 are invited for AAA screening. This is a simple scan of your tummy to check your Aorta (a big artery that carry’s your blood from your heart). It is a really easy test that could save your life so it is important to go for this screening.

Easy read: AAA Screening guide (PDF 147Kb)

This guide includes information on how to book a screening if you have not had one.

LeDeR

LeDeR is a National programme that reviews deaths of people with a learning disability and autistic people to help learn and improve health outcomes.

Here is some easyread information.

Here is a link to the NHS website about LeDeR - About LeDeR

Herts Help

Herts help can help you with any questions you have about health, wellbeing and any other worries or questions.

Here is the easyread information about Herts Help.

How to stay healthy | Learning disabilities

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