Health Action Plan Presentation for People with Learning Disabilities This presentation will take up to an hour. The presentation is designed to be interactive & may need to be adapted dependent on the audience. The resources you will need are: Blue Tac Flip Chart Paper Flip chart Pen Over Head Projector (or Laptop & projector) Presentation folder with OHP slides (or Disc) and laminated pictures Copies of the Health Action Plan Guidelines Register of people receiving the presentation Object of reference HAP example (or alternative)

for people with learning disabilities Health Action Plans for people with learning disabilities EXERCISE 1 = Ask each person to say their name and something that they really enjoy doing or something important to them. Start this off yourself as an example. Write answers on flip chart. If large group just ask people to think of things and ask a few people to feedback. Thank the group and explain that this has been really useful and that you will tell them why later. Developed by Laura Summers. Melton, Rutland and Harborough PCT. Pictures used are from CHANGE.

What is a Health Action Plan? A Health Action Plan is a plan about your health. It says what things you are doing to keep fit and well. It says what else you want to do to be more healthy. It says what help you may need to keep healthy. Link back to what has been written on the flip chart MESSAGE = that all the things that are on the FLIP chart are things that are important to us and we should think about these things when doing our HAP, if these things stop then it may affect how we feel and it might make us unwell in our body and our mind. EXERCISE = Ask group to say what other things you can do to be healthy. Write on the flip chart. MESSAGE = It might be that you would like to do some of these things, you may need someone to tell you about the different ways to be healthy.

Why have a Health Action Plan? Good health means being well in your body and in your mind. If you are healthy you will be able to do more things in life. If you are healthy you will be able to enjoy more things in life. We all have the right to be as healthy as we can be. A Health Action Plan will help you to be healthy. Explain that things like doing exercise and healthy eating makes your body healthy, and things like seeing friends and doing the things you enjoy help your mind to stay healthy. Link to the flip chart.

Who should have a Health Action Plan? Everyone with a learning disability should be asked if they would like a Health Action Plan. You do not have to have one if you do not want one. It is a good idea to have a Health Action Plan If you need a lot of help to be healthy, If you have a lot of health needs, If things are changing in your life, If you are getting older. Talk through slide using easy language.

What does a Health Action Plan look like? Your Health Action Plan can look how you want it to look. It should be easy for you to understand. Talk through slide. EXERCISE = Ask group what ways we can make things easy to understand. EG written, easy words and pictures, video, cd, dvd, computer, tape recorder, objects of reference.

Starting your Health Action Plan You can start your Health Action Plan at any time. There are some guidelines to help. Your Health Action Plan can be part of your Person Centred Plan. It is a good idea to have your Health Action Plan checked by your doctor or nurse. It is a good idea to show your plan to the people who help you during the day so they can help you to be healthy. You can choose who sees your plan. Show group the HAP Guidelines and give a copy at the end of talk. Ask if people have started PCP – link to this. Explain that it is good for people with learning disabilities to have a health check up at the doctors, this is a good time to show your plan to the doctor and add things to it if needed. If people are not being invited in for health checks explain that they have the right to see their doctors or nurse every 3 years or every year if they are older than 75years, also if they are going to see their doctor for any reason they can take their plans. Explain that if you are trying to eat healthily for example you need all the people that help buy, prepare and cook the food to know what you are doing. EXERCISE = Ask group to look at the pictures around the room and identify what things need to be thought about for your health action plan. Write these on the FLIP chart. General health Medication Special health needs Communication Eyes Ears Teeth Feet Healthy food Exercise Special equipment/mobility Women and men's health Sleep/mood

HEALTHY EATING – You could ask group what food and drink is good for us. - For the Health Action Plan you may want to think about what you eat, or learn more about healthy food.

MOOD & SLEEP – You could ask group what each of the people in the picture are doing. - We don’t always know who to talk to when we are happy or sad, you might want to think about this for your plan. Also some people may rely on someone else to pick up from their actions how they are feeling.

EXERCISE - You could ask the group what the people in the pictures are doing. For your plan you may want to think about what exercise you do already, and if you would like to do more exercise. It is good to do at least 30 minutes of exercise every day that makes your heart beat faster and makes you out of breath.

GENERAL HEALTH – You could ask the group to say what the pictures are. For your plan you may want to think about how much you weigh, if we are under weight or over weight it can affect how healthy we are. Smoking and drinking alcohol also can affect our health, if you smoke or drink alcohol you may want to think about how much you drink or smoke, and if you want to give up, or maybe cut down. You may want to learn about what happens to your body if you smoke or drink alcohol – you can write this in your plan. It is a good idea to visit your doctor to have a health check, this is where the doctor asks you questions and may take your blood pressure to make sure you are healthy. Your doctor may invite you in for a health check.

WOMEN AND MENS HEALTH ISSUES – NOTE – some people may not feel comfortable talking about this in the group. Explain that there are things that both men and women can do to check they are healthy and also to stay healthy if they are in a relationship. The guidance says more about this.

MEDICATION – You could ask the group what the pictures are. You may want to think about what tablets/medicine you take, if you take any. Some people might not know what they are for, or what the side effects are. Some people may not have had their tablets checked by their doctor for a long time, and some people may like to take their medication in a certain way.

MOBILTY- You could ask the group to say what the pictures are of. Some people need help to move around, for their plan they may want to think about if they need to do anything to look after their mobility aids or if they have any preferences around the support they receive.

EYES & SEEING – You could ask the group what the pictures are. It is important to have an eye check at the opticians at least every 2 years, this ensures you can see well and that your eyes are healthy. For your plan you may need to think about if you have seen the optician in the last two years. You may wear glasses, for your plan you might think abut how to look after you them.

HEARING – You could ask the group to say what the pictures are. It is important to think about our hearing, even if we have never had a problem before. As we get older we sometimes find it more difficult to hear and see. Also some people may have problems with their ears and may want to learn how to prevent the problems from happening as often.

TEETH & GUMS – You could ask the group to say what the pictures are TEETH & GUMS – You could ask the group to say what the pictures are. You could ask if people know what might happen if you don’t look after your teeth. We should have our teeth checked at least every two years but most of us may need them checked more often, your dentist will tell you. For your plan you may want to think about when you last had your teeth checked, and what you need to do to look after your teeth and gums.

FEET & TOENAILS – You could ask the group to say what the pictures are. Some people may need to have specially made shoes for their feet, and some people may need help to have their toenails cut. We need to make sure that are feet are looked after, that they are cleaned and dried properly and that we cut our toenails correctly. For your plan you may want to think about if you look after your feet properly.

COMMUNICATION – Ask the group if they can tell you what the pictures are. -Some people may need to think about how they communicate, for example how they tell people what they are thinking but also what the best way is for you to be given information. Some people use aids to help them communicate. You may want to think about communication for your plan, but if you have a PCP this may have already been done.

SPECIAL HEALTH NEEDS – Ask the group if they can tell you what the pictures are. Some people may have special health needs such as epilepsy, diabetes, or high blood pressure. You may need to do certain things so that you can stay healthy and well, for your plan you may want to think about what these things might be and if there is anything else you would like to know about your special health need.

Who can help you with your plan? A health facilitator will help you to think about your health. You can choose someone to be your Health Facilitator. You should choose someone you know and trust, like a family member, a friend or a support worker. They will listen to you. They will help you to make your own choices. They will help you with your Health Action Plan. Talk through the slide. Explain that there is training for health facilitators – give out leaflet with training dates or give contact name for training.

Your Health Action Plan is all about your health and it belongs to Following this slide it would be ideal to show the group an example of a health action plan, preferably an object of reference HAP. If you have your own this would be really good, otherwise you could show the group Laura's HAP you would need to make a box up of the objects or arrange to borrow Laura’s box for the presentation.

Health Action Plan Presentation for People with Learning Disabilities. Name of trainer Venue Date Name Name Please send a copy of this completed form to Laura Summers at PERA Innovation Park, MRHPCT, 3rd Floor, Nottingham Road, Melton Mowbray. Leicester. LE13 0RH