“I have waited for this job for 20 years, it is so varied and everyday is different.” South Eastern Trust Learning Disability Acute Liaison Nurse Paula McIIwaine recalled how she spent 20 years caring in the community before, “The Ulster Hospital welcomed me into its team to raise the profile and the care needs of people throughout it.”
The theme of this year’s Learning Disability Week is, ‘Do you see me?’ with the focus very firmly on how we should recognise, value and include people with learning disabilities, in all aspects of life.
Paula explained how, as part of her role, she supports people with a learning disability when they attend the ED (Emergency Department) or hospital setting.
“The experience of hospital can be difficult for most people but for people with a learning disability, it presents more of a challenge. Their learning disability may be unseen. That person may have difficulty with the sensory aspect of hospital and it can prove an overwhelming, stressful experience. Having a Learning Disability Acute Liaison Nurse in place adds great value to that person’s hospital journey,” said Paula.
Paula continued, “As part of my role I will attend wards, I will attend the ED and I will follow that person with a learning disability through their hospital stay and look at putting ‘reasonable adjustments’ in place for them and chat to the staff on that particular ward about what that will look like. As part of a reasonable adjustment plan we have an acronym called ‘TEACH’. T is for time, E for environment, A is for attitude, C is for communication and H is for health. It is those five things that help to put reasonable adjustments in place for a person with a learning disability.”
“Each person, you or I, are all different, we are all individual and have different needs that is the same for a person with a learning disability. We make sure that the care we give is patient centred at all times.”
Paula has been supporting Maria Devenny Valadez and her family since Maria was admitted to the Ulster Hospital a month ago. Maria loves music, animals and especially hand and feet massages. The 24-year-old is non-verbal and has learning disabilities. The family have described Paula and her support to them and Maria as, “A bit of a safety net.”
Maria’s mother Ana shared how Paula has been, “extremely helpful” to them. A Makaton tutor, Ana added how she is teaching the language programme to staff as and when she can as the family wait for Maria to be discharged. “It is good to know, for us as a family, that Paula is here. Paula has been fantastic.”
Paula said, “I feel very privileged to be a Learning Disability Nurse. To see someone at their most vulnerable and to go with them, through what can be at times anxious procedures or being able to accompany them through that x-ray, CT scan or Colonoscopy procedure is a privilege.
“The care I have seen in this hospital has been excellent. The staff are kind, they are compassionate. I love being a part of that.”