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

People with ​Intellectual Disabilities

Discharge

Jeff is ready to go home. In this first video, you will again meet Amelia, Jeff's disability support worker, who is talking to Jenny, a nurse. They are talking about Jeff being discharged. In the next video, you will see a discharge meeting for Jeff. Lorraine, the social worker, is leading the meeting with Jeff, Amelia and Lynne, Jeff's sister.  

This next video shows a discharge meeting for Cassandra. Lorraine, the social worker, is leading the meeting. Frank, Cassandra's father, and Johnno, her disability support worker are also there.  Cassandra has an NDIS plan, so Anita from the NDIS, and Eddy, an NDIS support coordinator are also at the meeting to talk about the extra help Cassandra will need when she goes home.

Applying the Framework

Diagram showing the four framework processes, with the Knowing segment highlighted.

Knowing that

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  • As a person with intellectual disability, you have the right to make decisions and to have choice and control over your life.

  • No one has the right to make decisions on for you, except if you have a legal guardian who is allowed to make decisions about specific things in your life.

  • People who support you must think about any help you need help to make a decision; they shouldn't wonder whether or not you are able to make a decision.

  • When you are discharged from hospital, you might need extra help at home. 

  • Disability support workers who might help you at home aren't trained to give you medical care.

  • If you get NDIS funding, you can ask for more money so that you can get extra help when you leave hospital.

Diagram showing the four framework processes, with the Informing segment highlighted.

Informing

 

The people who support you need to 

  • ask what specific decision has to be made so you can leave hospital

  • make sure all ways of supporting you when you leave hospital are talked about

  • ask you what you want to happen or where you want to live

  • tell people at a discharge meeting what help and support they can give you when you leave hospital 

  • talk to other people about any extra help and support you need when you leave hospital

Diagram showing the four framework processes, with the Collaborating segment highlighted.

Collaborating  happens when the people who support you

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  • tell hospital staff if they have wrong information about you and the support you usually have

  • are willing to think about different ways you can get the help and support you need

  • tell you and others about their ideas to support your decisions​

  • are happy to follow suggestions made during your discharge meeting

Diagram showing the four framework processes, with the Supporting segment highlighted.

Supporting

 

You will be supported in making decisions about being discharged from hospital when

  • people listen to and support what you want

  • time is made to work out ways to do what you prefer

  • an advocate is called on to help if people at the meeting can't come up with a solution you are happy with

  • you are happy and agree with the decision about where you will live after you have been discharged from hospital and you get the help you need

Summary

People who support you need to know about your right to make decisions and how to support you to make them. This includes decisions about where you live when you leave hospital.

The people who need to be at any meeting or discussions about your discharge from hospital are you, and the main people who support you, such as family and/ or disability support workers and their managers. Someone needs to be in charge of discharge planning meetings. This could be a hospital social worker or discharge nurse. Everyone in the meeting must make sure of you are given the right to make decisions and have choice and control. 

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You can find other information in the Resources tab about support for decision making, the NDIS and hospitals, and advocacy for people with intellectual disabilities.

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Activities

These activities will help you to think about what you have learned. You can do them or your own as an Individual or with friends as a Group. You can write answers in the workbook that you can download onto your computer.

Watch this video again of Amelia and nurse Jenny talking about Jeff being able to go home.

Write down your answers to these questions in your workbook or have someone write them for you.

  1. Jenny has some information about Jeff that was wrong. What was it?

  2. How did you feel when Amelia told Jenny that disability support staff aren't nurses?

  3. Why do you think it mattered for Jenny to know that disability support staff aren't trained to give medical care?

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