People with learning disabilities 'suffered health decline in Covid-19 pandemic'

By Q Radio News

People with learning disabilities suffered a decline in physical and emotional health due to the Covid-19 pandemic and their health has not improved as restrictions have eased, an Ulster University report has found.

Released to mark the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, the report also revealed people with learning disabilities have experienced a higher mortality rate during the pandemic.  

Children and adults with learning disabilities form around 1% of the population, that’s 18,000 people in Northern Ireland, and they have additional health, social care and educational support needs.

Around 6% of the Department of Health’s budget is spent on learning disability services.

The main findings of the study:  

- People with learning disabilities experienced Covid-19 at least to the same extent as the general population with some more severely affected and a higher mortality rate

- The physical health and emotional wellbeing of people with learning disabilities has declined over the last 22 months as a result of restrictions placed on them by Covid-19 and their health has not improved as restrictions have lifted

- People with learning disabilities saw their GPs and other healthcare providers less during the pandemic 

 - The support provided by the statutory services available to people with learning disabilities, such as day centres and respite care, disappeared or were markedly reduced during 2020 and they have not resumed to pre-pandemic levels  

- The social lives of people with learning disabilities have been severely restricted during the pandemic and have yet to fully recover due to a lack of community activities, and less work and volunteering opportunities 

- Family carers have had to take on increased caring roles on a 24/7 basis for much of 2020 and this is continuing into 2021 as service reductions persist. 

The report by Ulster University was co-produced with Mencap NI, Positive Futures, CAN and Families Involved in NI (FINI) and the research was led by Professor of Intellectual Disability Research at Ulster University Laurence Taggart.

Professor Taggart said lessons from the study "will help policy makers and those who deliver services, to help rebuild better the appropriate services and supports this population need to have better health”. 

Grainne Close, Director of Mencap NI said people with learning disabilities and their families "have been failed, yet again".

"The closure of day care facilities and respite services has increased the pressure on family carers.

"It is imperative for our government to act now to ensure that people with learning disabilities, and their families, are receiving the right support.” 

The report made a number of recommendations around preparations for outbreaks and lockdowns, recovery planning and new models of service provision.

Agnes Lunny, Chief Executive of Positive Futures, said the findings "must be the catalyst for real change in how people with learning disabilities are enabled to live ordinary lives like every other citizen in Northern Ireland".