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Affective Psychosis

Affective psychosis causes profound changes in mood, either to severe depression with reduction in levels of activity or elation with over activity.

Anxiety States

Anxiety states include phobias, panic and generalised anxiety disorders where the symptoms, e.g. worry, tension, over-breathing, giddiness, cause significant distress and/or disability.

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Challenging Behaviour

Some people with learning disabilities present a special challenge to providers. This includes:

  • The behaviour itself or its severity is inappropriate given a person's age and level of development.
  • The behaviour is dangerous to the person or to others.
  • The behaviour causes stress to the lives of others and impairs their quality of life to an unreasonable degree.
  • The behaviour is contrary to social norms.

Services need to take account of the way in which people with challenging behaviour are helped.

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Dementia

Dementia leads to a decline in intellectual functioning and memory caused by diseases of the brain, such as Alzheimer's and Vascular (blood vessel) disease.

WHO definition of Dementia: "Dementia is a syndrome due to disease of the brain, usually of a chronic or progressive nature, in which there is impairment of multiple higher cortical functions including memory, thinking, orientation, comprehension, calculation, learning capacity, language and judgement. Consciousness is not clouded. Impairments of cognitive function are commonly accompanied, and occasionally preceded, by deterioration in emotional control, social behaviour, or motivation".

Depressive Disorders

Depressive disorder is where symptoms such as depressed mood, loss of interest, reduced energy, suicidal ideas, sleep and appetite disturbance exceed normal mood fluctuations.

Disability

Any restriction or prevention of the performance of an activity, resulting from impairment, in the manner within the range considered normal for a human being.

Disablement

In relation to persons, means that they are blind, deaf, dumb or substantially and permanently handicapped by illness, injury or congenital deformity (or any other disability prescribed by the Secretary of State).

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Eating Disorders

Eating disorders include anorexia nervosa where severe weight loss occurs and bulimia nervosa which involves fear of fatness with both under and over-eating.

Elderly Infirm (Frail Elderly)

This term is not defined by the Act, but is interpreted as being persons over 65 years who have a range of minimal physical disabilities, including muscle loss [with attendant weakness and instability], which may be associated with slight impairment of intellect and memory as a result of the ageing process. Such patients may require care ranging from minimal support to assistance for all activities of daily living.

Elderly Mentally Infirm

This term is not defined by the act, but is interpreted as being persons over 65 years who have a range of physical disabilities: including muscle loss (with attendant weakness and instability) which may be associated with mild to severe impairment of intellect and memory as a result of the ageing process and illness or disease.

Elderly Mentally Ill (EMI)

Is defined as patients who are suffering from an acquired impairment of memory and intellect of such seriousness that their independent social functioning is being affected, although they appear to be alert.

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Handicap

A disability that constitutes a disadvantage for an individual by limiting or preventing the normal fulfilment of their life in relation to age, sex, social and cultural factors.

Hospice

Hospice or palliative care is a special type of care for people whose illness may no longer be curable; it enables them to achieve the best possible quality of life during the final stages of their illness. Palliative care was first developed in the UK by the voluntary hospices and continues to be provided by them in many areas, but is now also provided within NHS hospitals and community services.

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Impairment

A permanent or transitory psychological, physiological or anatomical loss or abnormality of the structure or function.

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Learning Disability
Or may be known as (Mental Handicap).

This being a state of arrested or incomplete development of mind which is of a nature or degree that the person is incapable of living an independent life or guarding him/herself against serious exploitation, or will be incapable when of an age to do so.

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Mental Disorder

Means mental illness, arrested or incomplete development of mind, psychopathic disorder and any other disorder or disability of mind.

Mental Illness

See separate descriptions:-

  • Affective Psychosis
  • Anxiety States
  • Dementia
  • Depressive Disorders
  • Eating Disorders
  • Personality Disorders
  • Schizophrenia

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Organic Dementia

Elderly persons suffering a significant degree of intellectual deterioration and memory impairment.

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Palliative Care

Palliative care, as the WHO has recognised, is the active, total care of patients whose disease no longer responds to curative treatment, and for whom the goal must be the best quality of life for them and their families. Palliative medicine is now a distinct medical speciality in the United Kingdom. It focuses on controlling pain and other symptoms, easing suffering and enhancing the life that remains. It integrates the psychological and spiritual aspects of care, to enable patients to live out their lives with dignity, as well as offering support to families both during the patient's illness and their bereavement. It offers a unique combination of care in hospices and at home.

Personal Care

Means care, which includes assistance with everyday activities, where such assistance is required.

Personality Disorders

Personality Disorders involve deeply ingrained and enduring behaviour patterns showing themselves as inflexible responses to a broad range of personal and social situations. They may be associated with distress and problems in social functioning.

Psychopathic Disorder

Means persistent disorder as disability of mind (whether or not including significant impairment of intelligence) which results in abnormally aggressive or seriously irresponsible conduct on the part of the person concerned.

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Qualified Nurse (RGN)

Registered General Nurse (first level nurse) RGN.

Qualified Nurse (RMN)

Registered Mental Nurse (first level nurse) RMN.

Qualified Nurse (RMNH)

Registered Mental Nurse Handicap (first level nurse) RMNH.

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Schizophrenia

Schizophrenia involves the most basic functions that give people a feeling of individuality, uniqueness and self-direction (creating their "reality boundary"). It can cause them to hallucinate, develop feelings of bewilderment and fear, and to believe that their deepest thoughts, feelings and acts may be known or controlled by others.

Severe Learning Disability

Provision of service will be focused on people with severe learning disabilities. A definition has been developed in Bedfordshire of severe to profound learning disability.

The person has a severe to profound learning disability, measured by psychological developmental assessments and at least one or more of the following:

(a) An inability to care for him/herself in terms of personal care, personal safety or interpersonal communication and for mental ill health reasons.
(b) Presents behaviours that are socially unacceptable.
(c) Has other disabilities e.g. physical or sensory which limit his/her ability to care for him/herself or require specialist involvement (including mental health).

OR
Has a moderate learning disability as measured by psychological developmental assessments - but due to seriousness of one (or more) of the factors mentioned at a), b), c) is unable to care for him/herself without support or supervision.

AND
As a result requires the following interventions:

  • requires specialist training or education to achieve basic self-care schemes.
  • can only maintain independence with the help of others or specialist equipment.
  • requires hospital care, aftercare or community care under the Mental Health Act 1983.

(Note: This definition has been formulated without reference to diagnosis or intelligence quotient).

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Terminal Illness

Terminal illness is defined as "active and progressive disease" for which curative treatment is not possible or not appropriate, and from which death can reasonably be expected within twelve months.

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Young Chronic Sick

A person below the age of 65 years who is suffering from a condition of chronic illness or disability.

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WHO

World Health Organisation.