An overview of the ‘It All Adds Up’ information pack

‘It All Adds Up’ is a pack of information to make it easier for primary healthcare providers, such as GPs and practice nurses, to identify deafblind older people and refer them for the support they need. Some of the information in the pack is also available on our website.

The information pack includes a series of short leaflets:

• It All Adds Up - this gives a brief introduction to deafblindness in older age.
• Identifying your deafblind patients - this describes things that may show that an older person is deafblind.
• More about deafblindness - this explains in more detail about deafblindness and the support that is available to deafblind older people and their families.
• Things to do with this pack - this lists the actions that GPs should take to improve how they identify and refer deafblind older people.
• Useful organisations - this lists sources of further information, advice, training and support
• Making your services more accessible - this is an audit sheet to help GPs to look at their surgery and decide whether there are adaptations they could make.
• Communication with deafblind patients - this explains how to communicate effectively with deafblind people.

The pack also includes two posters:

• ‘It All Adds Up’ - this is to display for staff. It reminds staff about deafblindness and the support available to older deafblind people.
• ‘The Good Life’ - this is to display for the public. It tells people how to access support so that deafblind older people can live the good life.

For most activities you do not need to have read ‘It All Adds Up’ or know it all. For most activities it’s enough for you to be aware of what it includes. If you have a few minutes, skim through it to familiarise yourself with it.

Whatever you do, don’t forget to contact us to let us know how it goes.