Is there anyone on the Network who has had experience of women with Learning Disabilities entering the Menopause. We suddenly realised recently that this might be the reason why we have some erratic behaviour and unexplained displays of emotions from some of our day service users. So we now face the task of talking to families about this being a possible health issue to be looked into. But we don’t know how GPs would deal with it even if they were faced with the possibility. We also know it may be an unpopular health education subject, but the only resources we can find on the web are 20 years old and mainly from Pavillion Publishing.
Hi, yes this is something I’ve come across. Try the Balance website, they have a template letter for the GP and lots of information about peri menopause and the menopause. https://www.balance-menopause.com/
Balance has a Facebook page to Balance Menopause
There are leaflets on Easy healthcare about the menopause which might be of interest Generate
And this maybe of interest to the GP Impact | Volume 23, Number 1 | Aging with Developmental Disabilities: Women’s Health Issues | Institute on Community Integration Publications
Read through the NICE guidance - you may need it when talking to the GP Recommendations | Menopause: diagnosis and management | Guidance | NICE
Try to evidence any possible signs of the menopause or peri menopause but also consider any other health issues which maybe causing problems (first part of elimination for the gp). Menstruation history is also helpful. Peri menopause can start 10 years prior to the menopause and the risks of taking HRT are minimal in comparison to the effects of the menopause.
Good luck
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Thank you so much this is brilliant. I really hadn’t expected anyone to come back on this one and so quickly, that you again.
Leslie
Leslie Macdonald Cert Ed (ASD)
Chair @ Reading Mencap
Mobile | 07780 680 739
Email | chair@readingmencap.org.uk
21 Alexandra Road, Reading RG1 5PE
Hi, yes I’ve been supporting some ladies over the past 18 months and have produced a number of easy read resources and trackers for carers.
We have also been in conversation with The Menopause Charity around producing easy read info and this work is ongoing.
Happy to share the resources we have developed and the work I have been doing, not saying they are the answer to your questions but as you rightly say there was nothing, so had to start somewhere!
There is a resource pack called ‘Supporting Women with Learning Disabilities through the Menopause’ produced by Pavilion which is also a good place to start and has useful leaflets and staff training sessions in it if you have a budget to purchase it.
Hope that helps!
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Hi, thanks again and yes please to sharing your resources. We discovered the Pavilion stuff, in fact that seems to be mostly what is on the web, Pavilion publishing around £98. I think we’ll see how we go before we launch into that.
Thanks again
Leslie
Leslie Macdonald Cert Ed (ASD)
Chair @ Reading Mencap
Mobile | 07780 680 739
Email | chair@readingmencap.org.uk
21 Alexandra Road, Reading RG1 5PE
No problem, I will email you directly