Meeting the healthcare needs of offenders with learning disabilities

The article informs that many individuals with learning disabilities have additional health problems. For example, they are more likely to experience vision and hearing difficulties, to have physical disabilities, and chronic health problems such as epilepsy and thyroid conditions. They are three times more likely to die from respiratory disease, and have a higher rate of coronary heart disease and some forms of cancer. They are also more likely to suffer from weight problems. Mental health problems, particularly dementia and schizophrenia, are over-represented within this group, and individuals with learning disability are much more likely to die before the age of 50 than those without learning disabilities.