Collated by the Peer Support Network.
It is even more vital that families and carers have an opportunity to stay connected during this uncertain time and period of isolation. To reassure you, we will be continuing with Peer Support Network activities and meet-ups virtually.
Online meet-ups
This is a safe space for families and carers to share their current situation and raise concerns regarding access to support and services during this period. We will also discuss practical solutions for coping day-to-day and supporting positive well-being.
Wednesday 22nd April, 2 – 3pm
As well as catching-up with one another we’ll be taking a closer look at Hospital Passport and Care plan templates to support people with complex support needs during Covid-19.
For a link to join the Zoom meeting, please contact [email protected].
If you have ideas for how we can support each other, minimise stress and promote positive-wellbeing, please contact [email protected]. You can also join the Peer Support Network Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/PSNPAW/.
Useful information and resources to support you during Covid-19
We are in the process of making a dedicated area for Covid-19 specific guidance and resources on our website and will update you as soon as this is live.
Please find below very useful and welcome information from Erica Pope – our Learning Disability Acute Liaison Nurse for East Sussex NHS Trust. LD Liaison nurses are vital in ensuring people with learning disabilities are heard and have their rights put forward in any hospital experience. She has shared fantastic resources from the Challenging Behaviour Foundation in addition to this.
Erica is happy for families and carers to contact her to discuss any issues surrounding the current crisis and what to expect if the person you care for becomes ill and is admitted to hospital.
Email: [email protected]
Telephone (work mobile): 07876 578366
Important guidance documents:
- Visitor Guidance for carers
- Letter confirming lifted restrictions to outdoor exercise / social distancing (we have asked for letters for Family Employers on Adult Social Care East Sussex headed paper)
- Advanced Care and Hospital Passport Comms – please note COVID specific hospital passports are not considered helpful in that hospital staff were unfamiliar with them and multiple documents poses a risk. Please use the following recognised template: https://www.esht.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/This-is-me-My-Care-Passport.pdf
- Challenging Behaviour Foundation information sheet – supporting a loved one at home
- Challenging Behaviour Foundation information sheet – supporting children and adults with severe learning disabilities at home during the Coronavirus pandemic
- A letter from the Chief NHS Nurse outlining the NHS’s commitment to Equal Access to medical care for ALL disabled people irrespective of age or level of need. A tip from a member of the network is to print this off and attach it to a Hospital Passport (also below). This will highlight to clinicians and hospital staff that they must involve the people they care for and their families in decision-making. Here is a copy of the letter from the National Medical Director and Chief Nursing Officer for NHS England
Please note, in the case of hospital admission:
Contacting the Learning Disabilities Acute Liaison nurses – Conquest Hospital, Hastings & Eastbourne District General Hospital. – 07876578366 – is advised as they can provide phone support for the admission.
Here are some specific templates:
My Care Passport https://www.esht.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/This-is-me-My-Care-Passport.pdf
Previous meeting notes:
08.04.2020: Download the last meeting notes here.
01.04.2020: Download the last meeting notes here.
Join the Peer Support Network on Facebook.
Image: Michelle Roberts, Toy Story, 2016, brush pen on canvas, 92 x 122cm