Oxford Health and our partner organisations across the Oxfordshire health and social care system are supporting those with learning disabilities this Learning Disabilities Week.

Organised each year by national charity Mencap, this awareness week - which runs until June 21 - is focusing on keeping friendship going through the Coronavirus pandemic.

Rachel Miller, Patient Experience Lead for the Learning Disabilities Service at Oxford Health explained: “It has been a particularly challenging time for those people with learning difficulties in our community who may already experience high levels of loneliness and social isolation.

“It is even more important that these people are supported right now, particularly as they may not be able to reach out easily to their friends and families.”

Oxford Health has put together a range of useful Easy Read resources that will help those with learning disabilities. This includes guidance on Coronavirus with a wide range of downloadable leaflets.

There are also resources to support families and carers of people with learning disabilities through the restrictions with suggested activities and advice on ways to stay in touch with others.

Rachel said: “We really wanted to make sure that GPs, service users and our partner organisations have this information readily at hand so they wouldn’t need to create everything themselves.”

You can find these resources along with other useful national NHS guidance free to download on the website within the learning disability service section.

The LD Week you can also discover activities you can get involved in with ideas from Mencap, from making a friendship flag to signing up to befriending. See Mencap campaign for Learning Disability Week 2020

Working together

Since Covid began Oxford Health has compiled over 400 COVID-19 Hospital Passports for people with learning disability. These include brief summaries of medical conditions, medicines, dietary requirements, eating and drinking difficulties, and communication preferences and were sent to our colleagues at Oxford University Hospitals Trust to be appended to patient records.

The service has also identified patients at very high risk and checked with them and their GP what arrangements are in place, should they contract COVID-19, and what their wishes would be. The service continues to make weekly, or more frequent, welfare checks.