PEOPLE with intellectual disability only have their disability noted by hospital staff in one in every five hospital admissions, a new study shows.
Recognising someone has a disability is critical to their care.
This finding helps explain why many people with intellectual disability do not get hospital care that best meets their needs.
Urgent action is needed to make our hospital system safe, effective and tailored to the needs of around 450,000 Australians living with intellectual disability.
The research looked at historical information from hospitals and disability services in New South Wales between 2005 to 2015 (the most recent accessible data).
It found 12,593 adults with intellectual disability who used disability services in this time.
In total, these adults went to hospital 80,960 times from 2005 to 2015.
But in only 19,261 of these visits did the hospital recognise the person had an intellectual disability.
Intellectual disability is broadly defined as a lifelong condition that affects intellectual skills, behaviour and the ability to perform everyday tasks.
Intellectual disability exists across a spectrum. People with mild intellectual disability might engage in activities like full time work and sport.
People with profound intellectual disability may not be able to communicate and require full time care.
Adrian Raymond Walker and Julian N. Trollor, UNSW Sydney, Theconversation.com
