My son has a learning disability. It doesn’t have to mean his early death | Lucy Burke

I have little faith in the government’s response to the avoidable deaths of people with learning difficultiesThere has been a lot of talk about existential vulnerability recently, but not much of it has addressed the reality of life for people with learning disabilities. The second annual report of the Learning Disability Mortality Review (LeDeR) programme released in May proved that the system is ill-equipped to deal with people with learning disabilities. It indicated that, compared with the general population, they have a significantly reduced life span, the median age of death being 23 years younger for men and 29 years younger for women.The majority of these early deaths are avoidable, and include respiratory and circulatory problems, and are the consequence of entrenched inequalities in access to healthcare, and appropriate care and support. These findings mean that a young person like my son, Danny, who is 17 and has autism and a learning disability may die before he reaches the age of 50. Imagine how it feels to entertain the possibility of attending your child’s funeral. Sadly, I have met a number of parents who have done this and who have faced the eviscerating experience of attending inquests that detail neglect and significant failings in care. Continue reading…
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