Main Office: 01206 866 252
Domiciliary Care Office: 01206 583 743
Smiling father and mother hugging their son with learning disabilities.

What Support is Available for Individuals With Learning Disabilities

31 July 2023

If you are caring for someone with a learning disability, we understand that sometimes it’s not easy. Professional support might be something that would help both you and the person you are caring for. This article will help you decide if you need support, and direct you to the right services for your loved one.

What is a learning disability?

A learning disability will present itself in different ways for every single person. One common feature is a low intelligence level and a reduced ability to understand new or complex information. People who suffer from a learning disability may also struggle to cope independently and require help to complete everyday tasks.

According to Gov.UK, there are approximately 1.3 million people living with a learning disability in England. This includes over 950,000 adults aged 18 or over.

How are learning disabilities different from learning difficulties?

Learning difficulties and learning disabilities are commonly thought to be the same thing but this is not the case.

A learning difficulty is a type of special educational need that affects areas of learning. Whilst this has variable levels of severity and can impact a person’s life, a learning difficulty does not impact the level of a person’s intelligence, nor does it affect their ability to complete everyday tasks in the way that a learning disability does. Some examples of learning difficulties are:

  • Dyslexia
  • Attention Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
  • Dyspraxia
  • Dyscalculia

Does your loved one need support with their learning disability?

If someone you love is living with a learning disability, you may be considering reaching out for support for them.

We have put together some questions to consider to help you decide if you need some additional support to care for your family member:

  • Is their learning disability affecting their quality of life?
  • Could their social life be enhanced by additional care?
  • Do you feel that they would benefit from care by a professionally-trained carer?
  • Would additional support mean that you would have more time to enjoy quality time together instead of being their care provider?
  • Do you feel that additional support would help your loved one feel more independent when completing everyday tasks?
  • Are you struggling to meet their needs?

If you have answered yes to some of these questions then it may be time to consider some additional support to help you care for your loved one.

What type of support do you need?

The type of support your family member will require is dependent on how much care they require and whether they need financial or practical support or both.

Financial support

If you are looking into financial support for someone with a learning disability, there are several benefits that they may be eligible for. These include:

Practical support

If practical support is what you are looking into for your loved one, at Butterfly’s we have different types of support depending on the level of care they require:

  • Respite Care - This means taking a break from caring for the person you look after and allowing a qualified carer to take over for a short time. Unpaid carers work tirelessly to ensure that their loved one is cared for in the best possible way. At Butterfly’s we recognise what an amazing job they do and offer respite care to give them the rest they deserve.
  • In-Home Care - We have a team of highly trained and fully qualified, local carers who can visit your loved one in their home. The carer can help with whatever they need from personal care to a trip to the shops. A personal care plan will be put in place for every single one of our clients to ensure that they are receiving exactly the care they need.
  • Supported Living - If you feel that in-home care will not provide the level of care that your family member requires, you may want to consider supported living. This gives each individual the opportunity to live independently in either shared accommodation or as a single occupant whilst having support on hand at all times. As with in-home care, we put together a care plan for each of our clients as we know that even two people living with the same disability can have completely different care needs.

Support organisations/resources for individuals with learning disabilities

There are many organisations that offer support if you are caring for someone with a learning disability. We have listed some that may be useful to you:

Let us help you with your care support needs

Butterfly’s Care Group supports people with learning disability care requirements across Essex.

If you would like to know more about the services we offer, please contact us. We would be happy to hear from you and discuss what we can do to help your loved one.

Talk to us

We are more than happy to speak to you regarding any of our services or for some general advice.
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Head Office:
Butterfly's Care Homes Ltd
3 Bromley Road
Colchester
Essex
CO4 3JE

Main Office:
01206 866 252

Domiciliary Care Office:
01206 583 743

Email:
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