Learning Disabilities - Essay Example

? Setting up a Service for Adults with Learning Disabilities in the Audiology Department Setting up a Service for Adults with Learning Disabilities in the Audiology Department Introduction Learning Disability concerns with the issues in understanding and analyzing simple and complex situations, questions and characters. It is as much found in adults as much in children while the ratio in adults is increasing every year. People affected by LD also develop hearing loss or problems attached to the auditory system. To deal with such patients by providing them expert’s assistance, care and service, here is service design proposed to setup a diagnostic and treatment unit in the Audiology Department. Its significance along with a detailed description of the services to be provided with potential barriers is discussed in this paper. Learning Disabilities (LD) There is a significantly large number of people who are affected by the learning disabilities. Every human being is different and distinctive from others and maintains particular characteristics. People with learning disabilities do not have separate legal rights; however, their different attitude is more visible to others because of certain characteristics attached to the personality. Following are the three definitions put forward by the Department of Health in England (2001): These people face impaired intelligence, i.e. difficulty and uneasiness in comprehending the amalgamated information, developing talents and in learning new skills. Impaired social functioning is also projected by such adults. They are generally more dependent on others and do not prefer to be self-governing. The learning disability starts long before the adulthood. It has a deep rooted association with one’s childhood experiences and things which have affected his/her developmental stage. Learning disability has several degrees which determine the behavior and treatment that an effected person requires. The degrees vary from mild, moderate and severe (Hardy et al, 2006). Mild: they need support and medical help only when in crises, otherwise they can live independently. Moderate: they are more in need of help, often lives in a family system so that their daily needs are easily fulfilled. They also have some communication issues. Severe: they are in high need of medial support as they are encountered by other physical and mental disabilities as well. They maintain poor health and face huge communication barriers. Therefore, the quality of life is comparatively deprived. In general, it is not possible to know the exact percentage of people who are affected by the Learning Disabilities either through government procedures or through large-scale investigations or surveys. However, Department of Health (2004) declares that in UK, 2% of the population, i.e. 1.5 million are affected by the learning disabilities with varying types of support and medical help that they need. Among this population 828,000 are aged at 18+ and almost 0.47% of the affected adults were using the learning disabilities services (Emerson & Hatton, 2008). These percentages are expected to change to 5% and 10% by 2017 and 2027 respectively. Learning disability increases the risk of hearing loss which further leads to other physical and mental issues. Among the patients of learning disability, 21% of the people are affected by hearing loss as well (Bamforth, 2010). Need to Establish a Service Unit in Audiology Department As per the increasing rate of patients affected by the learning disabilities, especially those who are also facing hearing loss, Audiology Department requires to establish a complete diagnostic and treatment unit for these adult patients. Audiologists are professionals who provide services, assessment and treatment incorporating the scientific methods to solve the hearing issues of an individual (University of Bristol, 2011). As stated above, 21% of learning disability patients are encountered by hearing loss, therefore, it is essential to cater to the hearing issues of these patients as part of their learning disability treatment. Treating the hearing ability of an individual is an essential part of treating LD as hearing is the fundamental hindrance in its way. If an individual is unable to listen properly, then there are very low chances of better treatment by showing improvement in comprehending difficult information including the information that is communicated for the treatment purposes. Importance It will help patients to build their communication skills so that they are more comfortable in sharing their problems. Removal of the barriers related to socialization which is a basic element of learning disability can be made possible through this technique. It will lead patients towards a better life style and will improve the quality of life. Treating the hearing loss of LD patients will result in reducing the effects of other diseases and impairments such as depression. It will provoke the sense of independence in moderately or severely affected patients. In terms of economics, it will generate more profits for the organization by increasing the market for the treatment. Good hearing skills can help patients to understand the less complex information if not the complex one. Impact on the Effectiveness of the Audiology Department When a new project is started, especially in the field of medicine, then on the primary level, it does have neutral effects on a particular department with whom it is associated; however, in the long run, these effects are turned in to positive ones. Introducing the diagnostic and treatment unit of Learning Disability in the audiology department will surely increase its effectiveness and efficiency. It will give a boost to the professional skills of the members of the audiology department as they will be involved in activities which will be slightly different from their routine job. They will get exposure to different aspects of audiology while improving their knowledge about learning disabilities. In addition to this, they will be facing challenges which will give them a career advantage in future. Challenging job is a basic source of increasing an employee’s effectiveness which directly relates to the overall efficiency of the department. The research and development will increase which will lead to solutions of other related problems as well since at the initial point the management would have to carry out huge research work. It will add to the significance of the department as one more unit will attach to it. Dealing patients with other than the regular auditory issues will increase the potential market of customers which will result in better profits and for the department. Door to the further development in learning disabilities will open giving way to the expansion of the department in future. Service Design To establish diagnostic and treatment unit in the department of audiology for the patients of learning disabilities, especially in the area of hearing loss, a service design is proposed. This design is made by taking into consideration all the economic and societal factors along with the upcoming trends and development in the audiology department. It is expected that the number of patients will increase to double its current percentage by 2017 which forecasts a similar increase in the number of LD patients who are suffering from hearing issues. This suggests having a technologically sound service design which is highly competent and is flexible to future changes and trends. Raising Awareness First and foremost, we have to make people aware about the Learning Disabilities in the society, by identifying different dimension attached to it and covering the hearing loss with due attention and importance. This can be done by arranging awareness programs in the community centers, high schools, university, offices and other public places. Giving an awareness based advertisement in the electronic and print media will also help to achieve the objective. Attracting Attention of Audiologist Attracting the attention of audiologists towards the serious issue of hearing loss due to learning disability is of prime concern as they are the people to will be facilitating the unit in providing the health services. It is little bit easier to attract their attention as compared to building general awareness because they are working in the same field and already have substantial knowledge about audiology. All what they need is a push to give attention and raise voice on this important issue. This can be done by sending a detailed e-mails to the working professionals of the department in addition to arranging especial awareness programs for them within the department convincing them to take part in development of the unit and removing all their queries and reservations if any. Financing Financing such a huge project is one of the most difficult tasks. However, there is a systematical design plan to meet the target. First of all, a fund raising society has to be made which can participate in the awareness programs in order to collect funds from the convinced people then and there. The fund raising society can approach various organizations and NGOs to provide the financial support to the project. In addition to this, the funds reserves of the audiology department can also add a substantial amount. By making proper financial forecasting of the project, assets can also be taken upon interest free loans to avoid the possible chances of debt. Selection of the Working Team It would be better to appoint professionals who have some experience of dealing with the patients of Learning Disabilities. It will be helpful to assign the tasks to the pediatric audiologists as more or less the same techniques are used for both children and adults. Experienced individuals show better understanding of the patient’s problems and issue which is especially required when dealing with LD patients because if the audiologist himself is not able to understand the patient, then there are significant chances of poor improvement in patient’s health. Training of the Department Professionals All new equipment will be installing in the diagnostic and treatment unit which requires advance training of the department professionals. This has to be done during the structural development of the unit as it is a time and attention needed procedure. The incorrect operation of the equipment will lead to wrong judgment and diagnoses of the patient ultimately leading to wrong or harmful treatment. Useful Test and Techniques Various auditory tests and techniques can be used in order to make diagnoses about the hearing loss of LD patients. These includes, play audiometry, visual reinforcement audiometry and the objective tests such as acoustic reflex testing, otoacoustic emissions and auditory brainstem response. However, especial care is needed when dealing with hearing aids. It is advised to use the real ear measurement in evaluating the function of the hearing aid. Test may require some modifications dependent upon different patients.  Suppliers The waiting area of the auditory department will need assistive listening devices, i.e. the loop systems for facilitating the patients who are using the hearing aids. In addition to this, other necessary equipments will also be required by the department for the diagnostic and treatment purposes. Role of Carers Carers are the attendants of patients who are very important in treatment perspectives. The audiologist would have to develop clear understanding with them in dealing with the patients. They should be given a proper training session about how to operate the patient’s hearing aids and how to prepare the patient for a particular test before the appointment. Accessibility The diagnostic and treatment unit for the LD patients of audiologist department has to be very accessible for all sorts of patients including those who are suffering from blindness and paralysis. Such patients require ramp to be pulled up through a wheel chair. Open corridors and large passages would be feasible for them. Rescheduling of Appointments Patients suffering from hearing loss need more time with the audiologist as compared to others. Therefore, the management must reschedule all the appointments and assign more time duration to these patients. This is a necessary step because if the patients do not get enough time to communicate their problem, the audiologist cannot diagnose the real issues. Direct Referral System Establishing the direct referral system will be beneficial to the patients as it will simplify the appointment procedures and arrangements. Advance Facilities of Appointments Online appointment facilities should be provided to the patients as some of them are unable to make an extra visit for the appointment only. In addition to this, they should be sent a reminder of the appointment date and time either through post or e-mail. Home Services The severe patients of LD who are also suffering from hearing loss cannot travel in order to meet the audiologist. So, the department will have to make arrangements of the home services for these patients. Group sessions can be organized to relieve the anxiety of them by proving a relaxing environment and opportunity for socialization. Precautionary Measures Several precautionary measures should be taken by the audiologists when treating these patients. If they require to take some serious decisions on behalf of their patients, for instance, inducing general anesthesia in order to conduct some study or test, prescribing a hearing aid or cochlear implant. Then they should analyze the condition of the patient covering all the aspects so that prevention from mishaps or accidents can be made certain.  Data Recording Recording data at all the steps of diagnoses and treatment will facilitate the audiologist to make further studies on the subject. It will be useful in assessing overall service provided by the department through highlighting the loop holes in the service and areas for further improvement. Barriers There are various barriers in the way of establishing a diagnostic and treatment unit in auditory department. Some of them are minor which will be easily eliminated by the management; however, the major ones would need technical assistance. Assessing the overall economic and communal situation before the development of a unit is an essential part of the project which requires research work and proper service plan, conducting a research in Learning Disabilities among the members of the society calls for huge monetary investment apart from ethical and legal issues. At times, people are hesitant in sharing their hidden learning disability as in the case of mild category of LD; on the other hand, the government laws require proper documentation including other time taking procedures. In addition to this, raising awareness among the audiologists and other department professionals is not an easy task. If they do not agree upon the decisional plan, the management cannot proceed on. Similarly raising enough funds to buy equipment and appoint other audiologists staff needs a lot of objective oriented struggle. The unit would need a separate and proper building for its patients and the working staff, which requires developing a new infrastructure for the auditory department, again adding a large amount to the developmental cost. Then the proper training of the staff, as well as the carers, is also a hindrance in the way. The biggest barrier is the proper allocation of resources and developing a sense of responsibility among the audiologists about this population of the society which is lacking behind while being unable to get a proper medical treatment and emotional support. References Bamforth, H. (2010). Adult Audiology/Hearing Therapy Service for Patients with Learning Disability. NHS Foundation Trust. Department of Health. (2001). Consent: A guide for people with learning disabilities. London: DH. Emerson, E. & Hatton, C. (2008). People with Learning Disabilities in England. UK: Center for Disability Research. Hardy, S., Kramer, R., Holt, G., Woodward, P. & Chaplin, E. (2006). Supporting complex needs: A practical guide for support staff working with people with a learning disability who have mental health needs. London: Turning Point. University of Bristol. (2011). Center for Hearing and Balance: What is an Audiologist? University of Bristol. Read More