Bridging the gap: how carers insights highlight the need for more tailored support for older adults with learning disabilities
Eight local organisations presented at the forum, including Tramshed Woolwich, Carers Social Group, and Volunteer Centre Greenwich.
After the presentations, we headed to the garden where stalls were available for each organisation to share information about their service with carers. At our stall, we had the opportunity to share our latest reports and speak to carers about their experiences of local health and care services.
Mary shared her difficulty with finding tailored support for her 22-year-old son, Eric who has autism. Mary expressed how not enough support is focused directly on the needs of older adults with autism.
They try to put everyone under the same learning disability bracket but that is not right.
David was looking for more engaging support for his son, Michael, exclaiming, "I am happy to have talked to you today because I am trying to find support for my son who is quite shy". David feels that many of the services he has looked into for Michael will not be engaging enough for him, and those few that Michael have enjoyed, he has begun to exhaust these options.
Bringing carers and services together was crucial to understanding the needs of older adults with learning disabilities. By listening to the experiences of carers, it is clear that more tailored support is needed to better meet the needs of these residents.
