Person-centred critical care for a person with learning disability and COVID-19: case study of positive risk taking

Abstract

People with learning disabilities are known to experience a wide range of health inequalities and have a lower life expectancy than the general population. During the COVID-19 pandemic this extended to higher mortality rates following infection with the novel coronavirus. This case study presents an example of a positive outcome for Jade, a 21-year-old woman with learning disabilities and autism who required a long period in intensive care following COVID-19 infection. It demonstrates the impact of effective multidisciplinary collaboration involving the acute hospital learning disability liaison nurse and Jade's family, leading to a wide range of reasonable and achievable adjustments to her care.