Glossary

Best Interest

Under the Mental Capacity Act (2005), if someone lacks the capacity to make a decision and the decision needs to be made for them, the MCA states that the decision must be made in their best interests.

Care home

‘There are 2 main types of care home: residential homes and nursing homes. Some care homes offer both residential and nursing care places’ (NHS, 2019).

Cerebral Palsy

‘Cerebral palsy is the name for a group of lifelong conditions that affect movement and co-ordination’ (NHS, 2020a).

Dysphagia

‘Dysphagia is the medical term for swallowing difficulties. Some people with dysphagia have problems swallowing certain foods or liquids, while others can’t swallow at all’ (NHS, 2018).

Holistic

A ‘holistic’ point of view looks at the whole. In the case of service users, there is a need to consider their physical, psychological, social and spiritual needs.

Life story book

‘A life story book is an account of a person’s life, including stories and memories of past events and relationships – all the kinds of experiences that make us who we are. In addition to helping the person with learning disabilities, these books also enable others to see beyond the ‘client’ identity and appreciate that each person has a unique life history that sets them apart from other people’ (Hewitt, 2006).

Living will

Living will is another term for Advanced decision. ‘An advance decision … is a decision you can make now to refuse a specific type of treatment at some time in the future. It lets your family, carers and health professionals know your wishes about refusing treatment if you're unable to make or communicate those decisions yourself’ (NHS, 2020b).

Sensory support plan

A support plan which identifies the person’s sensory needs and preferences. To assist in reducing exposure to stimuli which may result in the person becoming distressed.