Intellectual Disability

Vision: To provide effective and efficient health care for people with intellectual disability (PwID) by strengthening the skills of GPs and other health professionals, and improving system integration.

GROW is a CESPHN service that aims to enhance the role of primary care providers to meet the complex health needs of people with intellectual disability. This project is a component of the National Roadmap for Improving the Health of People with Intellectual Disability.

GROW provides:

Online and face-to-face CPD events
In-practice training for health providers and practice staff. This service can be customised to meet the needs of your practice and can include support with NDIS, digital health platforms, annual health assessments, quality improvement activities and reasonable adjustments.
Access to Intellectual Disability Service Navigators who can assist with referral pathways, and advice of relevant resources for providing care for people with intellectual disability.
An Easy Read community page on rights to healthcare and advocacy tools for people with intellectual disability

Contact our Service Navigators

The GROW project team are eager to work with primary care providers to identify and address the challenges faced when engaging with this priority population.

For more information and to subscribe to the GROW Intellectual Disability eNewsletter please email: IntellectualDisability@cesphn.com.au

Click here to download the GROW Flyer.

“Supporting people intellectual disability to access the right care, in the right place at the right time.”

Health Outcomes for People with Intellectual Disability

There are over 13,000 people in the Central and Eastern Sydney region with intellectual disability, a high proportion of those being children. Families and carers are also impacted.

Compared with the general population, people with intellectual disability experience:

Over twice the rate of avoidable deaths
More than twice the rate of emergency department and hospital admissions
Hospital admissions costing twice as much
Higher rates of physical and mental health conditions
Lower rates of preventative healthcare

In addition, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, and people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds in our region are population groups who already face multiple barriers facing health care, highlighting the need for a tailored response.

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