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Disability support worker supporting a person with an intellectual disability in hospital.

About this Learning Resource

Diagram showing the four framework processes: Knowing, Informing, Collaborating, Supporting.

​This online resource is for people involved in the hospital journey of adults with intellectual disabilities.

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It presents a Framework for Quality Hospital Care based on evidence of practices in hospitals. Using this framework will help you  to support people with intellectual disabilities as they journey through a hospital. 

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This resource is for hospital staff, disability support staff and families. There is a separate pathway for each to follow.​

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You will learn about the four framework processes:

  • Knowing

  • Informing

  • Collaborating​

  • Supporting

How to use this resource

To use this resource, follow these steps:

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  1. Choose a pathway at the bottom of this page that suits your role.

  2. Progress by moving through the hospital journey.

  3. Watch scenes showing hospital experiences of people with intellectual disabilities.

  4. Read about applying the framework processes.

  5. Complete activities to support your learning.

  6. Read the summaries.

  7. Find fact sheets, links to other learning websites and other resources under the Resources tab. 

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You can work through the pathway on your own or with peers.

Choose Your Path

Hospital staff, family and close others and disability support staff each have important roles in supporting good hospital care for people with intellectual disabilities. Each path focuses on your role in the hospital journey of the person with intellectual disabilities. 

A triage nurse wearing a mask smiling at someone who has come to the Emergency Department window.

HOSPITAL STAFF

 Nurses, doctors, dieticians, occupational therapists, pharmacists, physiotherapists, radiologists, social workers, speech pathologists, administration clerks, orderlies, people working in food services.

Disability support worker comforting a person with intellectual disability as they wait in Emergency

DISABILITY SUPPORT STAFF

Disability support workers, house supervisors, disability outreach workers, teams leaders, managers.

Father and a patient with intellectual disability lying in a hospital bed.

FAMILY

Family members or close others.

A person with intellectual disability wearing a mask in a emergency waiting room.

INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES

People with intellectual disabilities.

Icon of a computer screen - this online training resource for disability support workers, hospital workers and family is free and online allowing you to learn at your own pace.

Self-paced

learning

Icon of a video player - this online training resource for disability support workers, hospital workers and family of intellectually disabled people has video content.

Videos

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Icon of a video player - this online training resource for disability support workers, hospital workers and family of intellectually disabled people has video content. Icon of a pencil - this online training resource for disability support workers, hospital workers and family of intellectually disabled people, provides question based activities to help consolidate your learning.

Activities

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Icon of a crossed our dollar sign- this online training resource for disability support workers, hospital workers and family of intellectually disabled people is free.

Free

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Acknowledgments

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This training resource was developed by the Living with Disability Research Centre at La Trobe University.  For a list of full credits click here.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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