Megan Middleton Caring for individuals with additional needs Unit 26. P1
P1- Outline reasons why individuals may experience additional needs
Additional needs
Additional needs are a term given to individuals that need extra support with achieving goals or
tasks. This may be either short or long term.
Physical disability
If an individual has a disability they may have a limit or restriction on their mobility, stamina or
physical movement. Physical disabilities may be deficiencies that limit certain parts of everyday life.
This may be;
Sleeping disorders
Epilepsy
Respiratory disorders
Cognitive disability
This is now known as a learning disability but used to be known as a mental retardation in the past,
but this is now seen as offensive. A cognitive disability is a wide range of separated by a decrease in
cognitive functioning, this will materialise before the individual reaches adulthood.
Sensory disability
This is an impairment of the senses such as sight and hearing, this can be blindness or deafness.
Genetic – what the disease is, cause, needs of the individual
Cystic fibrosis
Cystic fibrosis is a genetic disorder with more than 10,800 people being affected by it in the United
Kingdom. People with CF are born with the condition, meaning that the individual cannot develop
this in later life. A large percentage of people carries this faulty gene, and are sometimes unaware of
this. A faulty gene from each parent must be inherited in order to have this disorder. Different
individuals with this disorder may experience different symptoms depending on the genes they
carry. It does not matter how healthy or fit the individual is, they will still experience a variety of
symptoms. A build-up of mucus in the lungs cause lifelong diseases, causing individuals with CF to
have a reduced function of the lungs, meaning they spend a lot of time taking medications and
undergoing physiotherapy daily. Decreases in health are often caused by infections which may lead
to reoccurring visits to hospital, this can then interfere with home, social and work life. Enzymes in
charge of digestion are prevented from traveling to the stomach as the pancreas becomes filled with
mucus. Therefore, people with CF need medications to help break down and digest food and to
regulate the respiratory symptoms. People with CF will need an annual flu jab and routine
vaccinations and a carer because of their poor health, the carer must be trained to clear the
patient’s airways, an example of this would be if the mucus build up causes issues, the carer must
use techniques such as;
Gentle breathing to clear the lungs (Autogenic drainage)
Changing position to help drain the lungs (Modified postural drainage)
Relaxed deep breaths then panting (Active cycle of breathing)
Devices which vibrate to remove mucus (Airway clearance device)
Down’s syndrome
Down’s syndrome is caused by the presence of an extra chromosome within the cells. It is not always
an inherited disorder and is often caused during the time of conception. The cause for this is still
unknown and things done before the pregnancy are not known to cause this as it occurs in all
countries, social classes and race. Parents of these children were made to feel ashamed and
encouraged to lock away and forget about their child. People still feel sympathy for people with
P1- Outline reasons why individuals may experience additional needs
Additional needs
Additional needs are a term given to individuals that need extra support with achieving goals or
tasks. This may be either short or long term.
Physical disability
If an individual has a disability they may have a limit or restriction on their mobility, stamina or
physical movement. Physical disabilities may be deficiencies that limit certain parts of everyday life.
This may be;
Sleeping disorders
Epilepsy
Respiratory disorders
Cognitive disability
This is now known as a learning disability but used to be known as a mental retardation in the past,
but this is now seen as offensive. A cognitive disability is a wide range of separated by a decrease in
cognitive functioning, this will materialise before the individual reaches adulthood.
Sensory disability
This is an impairment of the senses such as sight and hearing, this can be blindness or deafness.
Genetic – what the disease is, cause, needs of the individual
Cystic fibrosis
Cystic fibrosis is a genetic disorder with more than 10,800 people being affected by it in the United
Kingdom. People with CF are born with the condition, meaning that the individual cannot develop
this in later life. A large percentage of people carries this faulty gene, and are sometimes unaware of
this. A faulty gene from each parent must be inherited in order to have this disorder. Different
individuals with this disorder may experience different symptoms depending on the genes they
carry. It does not matter how healthy or fit the individual is, they will still experience a variety of
symptoms. A build-up of mucus in the lungs cause lifelong diseases, causing individuals with CF to
have a reduced function of the lungs, meaning they spend a lot of time taking medications and
undergoing physiotherapy daily. Decreases in health are often caused by infections which may lead
to reoccurring visits to hospital, this can then interfere with home, social and work life. Enzymes in
charge of digestion are prevented from traveling to the stomach as the pancreas becomes filled with
mucus. Therefore, people with CF need medications to help break down and digest food and to
regulate the respiratory symptoms. People with CF will need an annual flu jab and routine
vaccinations and a carer because of their poor health, the carer must be trained to clear the
patient’s airways, an example of this would be if the mucus build up causes issues, the carer must
use techniques such as;
Gentle breathing to clear the lungs (Autogenic drainage)
Changing position to help drain the lungs (Modified postural drainage)
Relaxed deep breaths then panting (Active cycle of breathing)
Devices which vibrate to remove mucus (Airway clearance device)
Down’s syndrome
Down’s syndrome is caused by the presence of an extra chromosome within the cells. It is not always
an inherited disorder and is often caused during the time of conception. The cause for this is still
unknown and things done before the pregnancy are not known to cause this as it occurs in all
countries, social classes and race. Parents of these children were made to feel ashamed and
encouraged to lock away and forget about their child. People still feel sympathy for people with
