In 2018, the Learning Disability Mortality Review (LeDeR) found that early mortality amounted to people dying between 20 and 30 years younger than the general population, and this highlighted a shocking health inequality. The review revealed that the most common cause of death was a respiratory infection, which is more commonly known as a chest infection.
This emerging information has sparked the realisation about something that has been known in Therapy settings for a long time, and that is: poor postural alignment can have severe and life-threatening consequences. This is because, for people who have limited mobility, difficulty breathing, and therefore risk of developing a respiratory infection, is often a result of poor postural alignment.
Posture Friends will support staff in residential settings to take an enabling care approach with all the individuals they support. There is now overwhelming evidence that people with a Learning Disability in England are dying prematurely, and that these deaths are potentially avoidable!