How to break bad news to people with intellectual disabilities : a guide for careers and professionals

This book offers unique and flexible guidelines that can be used by practitioners to ease the process of breaking bad news to people with intellectual disabilities. The guidelines, which are adaptable to individual communication ability and level of understanding, address the many complex needs of people with intellectual disabilities who can find understanding and accepting news that has a negative impact on their life a very difficult task. In the book, Irene Tuffrey-Wijne covers a range of different types of bad news, from bereavement and illness to more minor issues such as a change of accommodation, and offers highly practical and effective tips that will help carers and practitioners ensure that bad news is relayed as sensitively and successfully as possible. An easy-to-use and comprehensive guide, this book will be an invaluable resource of information for carers, health professionals such as doctors and nurses as well as families of people with intellectual disabilities. Foreword / by professor Baroness Sheila Hollins Background Introduction Intellectual disabilities What is bad news? Breaking bad news : knowledge, skill, and guidelines so far Why we need new guidelines for breaking bad news Guidelines for breaking bad news Overview of the guidelines Component 1: building a foundation of knowledge Component 2: understanding Component 3: people Component 4: support Using the guidelines How can we break the knowledge down into chunks? When can we start building knowledge? Who can give chunks of knowledge? Who should be told? How much can someone with intellectual disabilities understand? Communicating with people with intellectual disabilities Can someone be harmed by receiving too much information? Sudden bad news What if people disagree about breaking bad news? Some further advice Examples of the model in practice Introduction to the examples Example a: Jeremy and Christine have cancer Example b: Ahmed and Carol have to move Example c: Moira, Ben, and Isabel's friend has dementia Appendices Appendix 1: Flow chart: a one-page overview Appendix 2: Ten guiding questions Appendix 3: The mental capacity act Appendix 4: Resources References. This book offers a unique and flexible model that can be used by practitioners to ease the process of breaking bad news to people with intellectual disabilities. The result of a 2 year research study, the model addresses the many complex needs of this group and can be adapted to fit individual communication abilities and levels of understanding. The book explores the study's insights and offers highly practical and effective tips that will help carers and practitioners ensure that bad news is relayed as sensitively and successfully as possible. An easy-to-use and comprehensive guide, this book will be an invaluable resource of information for carers, health professionals such as doctors and nurses as well as families of people with learning disabilities. This book offers unique and adaptable guidelines that can be used by practitioners to ease the process of breaking bad news to people with intellectual disabilities. It provides effective tips and support that will help social workers, counsellors and caring professionals relay all types of bad news as sensitively and successfully as possible.