Inconsistencies in the roles of family- and paid- carers in monitoring health issues in people with learning disabilities : some implications for the integration of health and social care

Changes in the living circumstances of people with learning disabilities have seen responsibility for their health become the provenance of paid-and family-carers. Thirteen semi-structured interviews were conducted with three family-carers and ten paid-carers. Findings revealed that the role of these carers was undefined, leading to difficulty in deciphering who was responsible for the health care of the people they supported, with some paid-carers claiming that health was outwith their remit. The difficulty of monitoring health problems of people with learning disabilities was noted, and carers disclosed skills and techniques that they used to explain health messages to individuals. If the health needs of people with learning disabilities are to be met, then a more consistent approach to health care within the community setting is needed, especially in terms of the remit of paid-and family-carers and with the integration of health and social services.