Fill in the Gaps: supporting older people through social services
Too many older people who are deafblind miss out on the support they need. The Fill in the Gaps campaign aims to change this.
The majority of deafblind people in the UK are older people who have developed hearing and sight loss in later life. Often this hearing and vision loss comes on very gradually. Older people themselves, and others around them, may not recognise or understand what is happening.
Fill in the Gaps aims to provide information to staff working with older people to help them recognise dual sensory loss and understand how this can affect a person’s life and the support they need. The term ‘deafblind’ refers to a combined hearing and sight loss; most deafblind people have some hearing and vision. Deafblind people are entitled to a specialist assessment. It is important that staff working with older people understand what is meant by deafblindness and how to recognise it.
A range of information aimed at social services in England and Wales is available below.
- Fill in the Gaps toolkit for England This booklet explains how you can help to make sure that older deafblind people get the support they need.
- Fill in the Gaps toolkit for Wales This booklet explains how you can help to make sure that older deafblind people get the support they need.
- Fill in the Gaps checklist If you assess older people but do not have expertise in sensory loss, this checklist will help you identify people who may need to be referred for a specialist assessment.
- Fill in the Gaps checklist in Welsh version If you assess older people but do not have expertise in sensory loss, this checklist will help you identify people who may need to be referred for a specialist assessment.
