End-of-life learning disabilities resources

• Brandon Trust.
• Cornwall Bereavement Network.
• Cornwall Hospice Care bereavement support.
• Cornwall People First.
• Good Grief Trust.

• Cornwall Carers Services.
• No One Dies Alone Cornwall.

The NHS has launched a national campaign to support people with a learning disability, healthcare professionals, and carers to spot the early signs of potentially life-threatening constipation.

The campaign has been co-created with people with lived experience and has a suite of resources to support conversation about constipation and ensure people with a learning disability can receive treatment at the earliest opportunity.

Did you know that people with learning disabilities die on average 20 years earlier than the general population and suffer much higher rates of physical morbidities. Half of these deaths are considered to be preventable.

The Learning Disabilities Mortality Review (LeDeR) found that 23% of deaths identified constipation as a long-term health problem and 33% were on prescribed laxatives. Another study highlighted that whilst only 0.5% of the general population are on regular laxatives this figure is 25% of the LD population.

Resources

• Top tips for healthy pooing easy read leaflet.
• Are you worried about your poo easy read leaflet.
• Poo matters parents and carers information leaflet.
• Let's talk about constipation carers information leaflet.

• My future and end of life care plan (PDF, 2 MB).
• Planning for the future. A guide to support advance care planning discussions.
• St Luke's Hospice easy read advance care plan.

For information about transport, contact the organisations below.

• Disability Cornwall.
• Humans Cornwall: Email Humans Cornwall or call 01736 697 040.

• Understanding end-of-life care planning guide 1.
• How to talk about dying guide 2.
• Toolkit of resources for supporting people with a learning disability.
• When I'm ill cards.
• When I'm ill recording sheet.
• My funeral cards.
• My funeral cards recording sheet.