Recognising and Responding to Acute Deterioration Standard
Intellectual disability and the Recognising and Responding to Acute Deterioration Standard
The Recognising and Responding to Acute Deterioration Standard outlines Actions to ensure early identification of changes in a person’s mental state or physical condition.
When caring for a person with intellectual disability, it can be difficult to identify the relevant physical signs of change, particularly if the clinician does not know the person well and the person is not able to communicate their pain or distress.20 Deteriorations are more likely because of complex health problems, further complicated by the fact that health problems may be present but undocumented. A deterioration can occur without the clinician being aware of the risks.8,12
Build workforce capacity – and working with family, supporters or guardians – to meet the complex healthcare needs of people with intellectual disability. This can reduce risk and improve health outcomes.24,50,54
Promote a culture of reasonable adjustments for people with intellectual disability, which can improve recognition of and the response to acute deterioration. Providing reasonable adjustments facilitates communication and improves knowledge about the person’s presentation, so that if it differs from when they are well, the clinician can recognise and respond to acute deterioration.20,24,49,50,54
The Commission has developed National Consensus Statements to support health service organisations to embed a systematic approach to recognising and responding to acute deterioration:
The Commission has also developed the online Escalation Mapping Template, which supports health services to assess the effectiveness of their systems in recognising and responding to deterioration in a person’s mental state.