• Trinity College Dublin
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Improving Health Assessments for People with an Intellectual Disability

Learn how to improve healthcare for people with intellectual disabilities with this course for healthcare professionals.

7,517 enrolled on this course

Improving Health Assessments for People with an Intellectual Disability

7,517 enrolled on this course

  • 3 weeks

  • 2 hours per week

  • Accreditation available

  • Digital certificate when eligible

  • Open level

Find out more about how to join this course

Learn how to support people with intellectual disability in health assessments

Detecting poor health and supporting people with an intellectual disability in managing their health can be challenging for healthcare professionals.

During this course, you will gain valuable knowledge that you can transfer into your daily practice on how to include people with an intellectual disability in health assessments.

You will expand your knowledge through information and techniques underpinned by the world-leading longitudinal study on ageing and intellectual disability, the IDS-TILDA study.

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Skip to 0 minutes and 7 seconds For the first time in history, people with an intellectual disability are living well into old age. This success story is a result of improved health care, better living conditions, access to education, and community supports. Despite this success, the life expectancy of a person with an intellectual disability is nearly 20 years less than their non-disabled peers. This free online course from the Trinity Centre for Ageing and Intellectual Disability at Trinity College Dublin will help you to better understand the health assessment needs of people with an intellectual disability. For decades, health and health care inequalities among people with an intellectual disability have been an issue.

Skip to 0 minutes and 56 seconds Health care information has often been inappropriate or unavailable, and service provision has been fragmented, especially for those with multiple and complex needs. Inaccessible facilities and equipment, and communication challenges, both in expression and interpretation, continue to compromise the health care experience of people with intellectual disability. These challenges can increase the person’s exclusion from preventative screenings, and delay regular health assessments, which impacts on quality of life and further marginalising people with an intellectual disability. This course offers doctors, nurses, physiotherapists, dentists, pharmacists, occupational therapists, and all allied health care professional workers the opportunity to understand the health assessment needs of older adults with intellectual disability.

Skip to 1 minute and 57 seconds You will explore the similarities and differences in health between individuals with an intellectual disability and their non-disabled peers, and explore evidence that underpins why engaging in health assessment is a foundational block to building better health. You will gain insights into the barriers to health care that people with an intellectual disability face, and the communication challenges that threaten sustained engagement in health care. Most importantly, we will share techniques that you can adapt to your clinical practise, enriching your skills and improving your engagement with all patients. Join us on this three-week free online course, and learn how to enable and empower individuals with an intellectual disability to be partners in health.

What topics will you cover?

In this course, you will:

  • Explore the inequalities that individuals with an intellectual disability experience that often obstruct their engagement in health assessment;
  • Identify the changing landscape of healthcare for older people with an intellectual disability;
  • Learn how to communicate better with people with an intellectual disability in health assessments;
  • Make reasonable adjustments to appointment scheduling, duration, and in explaining assessments;
  • Learn best practices in accessible materials for health assessments.

The course is structured into three weeks:

  • Week 1: Health and wellbeing challenges for people with an intellectual disability
  • Week 2: Best practices in communicating with people with an intellectual disability in health assessment
  • Week 3: Performing a health assessment for people with an intellectual disability

Who is this accredited by?

Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland:

This course is accredited by the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland, the independent, statutory organisation which regulates the nursing and midwifery professions in Ireland.

The CPD Certification Service
The CPD Certification Service:

This course has been accredited by the CPD Certification Service, which means it can be used to provide evidence of your continuing professional development.

When would you like to start?

Start straight away and join a global classroom of learners. If the course hasn’t started yet you’ll see the future date listed below.

  • Available now

Learning on this course

On every step of the course you can meet other learners, share your ideas and join in with active discussions in the comments.

What will you achieve?

By the end of the course, you‘ll be able to...

  • Describe the similarities and differences in health that applies to people with an intellectual disability in comparison to their non-disabled peers;
  • Identify the relevance and importance of health assessment for people with an intellectual disability;
  • Explain what making reasonable adjustment means for people with an intellectual disability as they engage in health services;
  • Reflect on the importance of making reasonable adjustments and understand how this is applicable to healthcare practice;
  • Explore how to adapt explanatory materials for the person with an intellectual disability;
  • Develop skills and techniques on adapting health assessments and engaging individuals with an intellectual disability using accessible material; and
  • Design your own Easy Read documents for health assessments.

Who is the course for?

This course is for healthcare professionals, healthcare workers, and care supporters working with people with an intellectual disability. You do not need any prior experience as the course is designed to be usable by all levels of healthcare professionals.

Who will you learn with?

Ussher Assistant Professor in Ageing and Intellectual Disability, Trinity College Dublin. My research interests include physical health, assessment, & accessible health promotion for people with ID.

Who developed the course?

Trinity College Dublin

Founded in 1592, Trinity College Dublin is Ireland’s highest ranked university. It promotes a diverse, interdisciplinary environment to nurture ground-breaking research, innovation, and creativity.

EIT Health

EIT Health promotes healthy living, active ageing and improvements in healthcare.

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Ways to learn

Choose the best way to learn for you!

Subscribe & save

$27.99

For the first two months. Automatically renews

Develop skills to further your career

  • Access to this course
  • Access to 1,000+ courses
  • Learn at your own pace
  • Discuss your learning in comments
  • Tests to boost your learning
  • Digital certificate when you're eligible

Cancel for free anytime

Buy this course

$109/one-off payment

Fulfill your current learning need

  • Access to this course
  • Learn at your own pace
  • Discuss your learning in comments
  • Tests to boost your learning
  • Printed and digital certificate when you’re eligible

Limited access

Free

Sample the course materials

  • Access expires 9 Apr 2024

Find out more about certificates, Unlimited or buying a course (Upgrades)

T&Cs apply.

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  • Complete 90% of course steps and all of the assessments to earn your certificate

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