The healthy living group: improving the lives of adults with learning disabilities
Hosted twice a year by the Calderdale learning disabilities health team, the six-weekly sessions at Laura Mitchell Health and Wellbeing Centre aim to increase knowledge on nutrition and exercise. The sessions are run by a specialist dietitian working in learning disability services and a learning disability nurse or therapy assistant. They are also supported by the Better Living Service, who provide accessible exercises to relax, engage and support attendees to easily replicate exercises at home.
Each session was themed with different topic to do with food and diet and presented in a fun, visual and practical way, with written supported information in easy read format so people with learning disabilities and their carers are able to make informed decisions about their food, drink, and lifestyle choices. The topics covered included:
- Week 1: Introductions, measurements (optional) with accessible BMI chart, the body and what it is made of with a focus on the function of fat on the body
- Week 2: Fruit and vegetables
- Week 3: Wholegrains and carbohydrate portions
- Week 4: Fat awareness, which includes measuring out the fat in foods
- Week 5: Sugar awareness, which includes measuring out the sugar in foods
- Week 6: The eat well plate, protein and calcium foods
Advanced dietitian Rebecca Martin who hosted the healthy living group said: “LeDer (Learning from Lives and Deaths – people with a learning disability and autistic people) reports have shown that adults with learning disabilities are shown to have poorer health outcomes and are affected more by health inequalities than the general population. Our group helps to increase knowledge of nutrition and exercise so that people are able to make informed decisions about their food, drink and lifestyle choices. Paid and family carers are also welcome to attend so that they can help support the adult with learning disabilities during and after the healthy living group sessions have ended.”
The sessions were well received with lots of positive feedback and outcomes noted with increased awareness and knowledge of weight, nutrition and diet and its influence of food and meal choices. The group also provided the opportunity for peer support, building friendships and developing social interaction which can sometimes be difficult to access in other environments. Some of the quotes from participants included:
“I learnt about being careful with what I eat at home”
“I enjoyed the group work, group support, exercises and event bought my own resistance band”
“I had the chance to meet new friends”
Rebecca added: “The response from the group is always fantastic. We get lots of comments about how the sessions have made a real difference, with attendees wanting the course to go on longer or having the opportunity to be able to access further support from a group in future. We are looking into how we can provide a maintenance group to provide some ongoing support for previous participants.”
The team will be looking to host another health living group later on in 2026.
