While a stream of reports documents the inadequacy of social care for elderly people with a wide range of disabilities, there are ominous signs that the new government’s impending budget will result in further retrenchment of public spending on vital welfare services.
Following his independent investigation of the performance of the NHS, Lord Darzi raised his particular concerns about the drastic inequalities facing people with learning disabilities.
Though they are twice as likely to die of preventable causes and four times as likely to die of treatable conditions, they face multiple barriers to accessing services and some three quarters are still not on a learning disability register. Only 40% of this population live to the age of 65.
Lord Darzi noted that some 2,000 people with autism and learning disabilities are still confined in hospital settings, despite several scandals revealing neglect and ill treatment and numerous missed targets for transferring in patients to community settings.
The plight of family carers was also revealed in Growing Older, Planning Ahead, a study in which I was involved together with researchers at Manchester Metropolitan University.
This report contrasted the focus on issues of active ageing and fulfilling retirement among the general public and the lack of recognition of the particular challenges of ageing faced by people with learning disabilities and their families.
This study noted examples of high quality care, but also cases in which individuals were, in the words of lead researcher Sara Ryan, "wrenched from the family home because their mum or dad can’t look after them any more and dumped somewhere inappropriate".
In such circumstances, individuals may express challenging behaviour and staff may resort to sedative medication. When it comes to how people with learning disabilities are perceived says Professor Ryan, there is "a fundamental lack of awareness that these people are actually human".
Some better news, on September 26 the Ham&High reported that Camden Council had found an extra £3.6m for health and social care from the Better Care Fund. Haringey Council please note!
- Mary Langan is chair Haringey Severe and Complex Needs Families Reference Group (SCALD).
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