Wales Council of the Blind

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Daily living skills adult social care

Daily Living Skills are needed to perform activities of daily living. Activities of Daily Living is a term used in healthcare to refer to people's daily self-care activities. Health professionals often use a person's ability or inability to perform ADLs as a measurement of their functional status. Rehabilitation Officers restore a blind or partially sighted person's Daily Living Skills.

DAISY technology

DAISY stands for Digital Accessible Information System is a standard for digital talking books. DAISY books are typically used by people have 'print disabilities', including blindness, impaired vision and dyslexia. The DAISY format allows users to hear and navigate written material presented in an audible format. A 'DAISY player' is a device that will play a DAISY book.

DAISY books accessible media

A format of digital talking books, with technology allowing the listener to access the book in a very flexible way. DAISY stands for Digital Accessible Information SYstem.

Day Care adult social care

Provided within centres to which service users travel or are transported. Service providers vary from statutory agencies such as health or social services to the independent and voluntary sector. Day care may cater for users with high dependency needs in conjunction with home care and residential provision, and be integral to an intermediate care programme. Alternatively, day care, particularly within the voluntary sector, may offer social stimulation and be part of a preventative programme aimed at combating a move towards functional dependence and offering carer relief on a structured basis.

Deaf other condition

Used to describe people with hearing loss, especially when it is severe or profound (unable to hear anything below 70Db).

Deafblindness eye condition

A person is deafblind if they have a combined sight and hearing impairment that causes difficulties with communication, access to information and mobility.

Degenerative Vitreous Syndrome (DVS) eye condition

The spontaneous occurrence in the ageing vitreous of opacities (floaters) that substantially interfere with activities of daily living. See source for more information on the vitreous and floaters.

Depression health

Depression is a low mood that lasts for a long time, and affects your everyday life. In its mildest form, depression can mean just being in low spirits. It doesn't stop you leading your normal life but makes everything harder to do and seem less worthwhile. At its most severe, depression can be life-threatening because it can make you feel suicidal.

Designated Person CYP

The person within an organisation who has lead responsibility for child protection.

Diabetes/diabetic retinopathy eye condition

Diabetes can affect the eye in several ways, the most common being problems with blood vessels in the eye.

Diabetic Eye Screening Wales health

The Diabetic Eye Screening Wales service checks for eye problems caused by having diabetes. Eye screening looks for damage to the back of the eye (diabetic retinopathy) which can lead to permanent sight loss. Making changes to your diabetes management, or having specialist treatment can slow or reverse changes caused by diabetic retinopathy. If you have been diagnosed with diabetes, and are aged 12 or over, you will be invited to attend a screening appointment.

Diabetic macular oedema eye condition

Vision loss occurs when the fluid reaches the macula (the centre of the retina that provides sharp vision) and builds up, causing swelling. At first, you may not notice changes to your vision. Over time, macular-oedema">diabetic macular oedema can cause your central vision to become blurred. A healthy macula is essential for good vision.

Direct Payments adult social care

Direct Payments are means-tested payments made to service users in lieu of community care services they have been assessed as needing, and are intended to give users greater choice in their care. The money received should be enough to meet a person's assessed care needs. Direct Payments have been available since 1997 and are made to a wide variety of people, including carers, adult service users and people with short-term needs. Direct Payments are not the only way a person can have control over their care service funding. Someone else can hold the money for them - a family member or other representative, a trust, an organisation, or a Care Manager. See also Budgets - Personal, Budget - Managed, Budget - Individual and Indirect Payments.

Disability adult social care

The Disability Discrimination Acts (1995 and 2005) define a disabled person as 'someone who has a physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on their ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities'. Groups of people with disabilities include people with mental health issues, physical limitations and those with learning disabilities. The social model of disability starts from a different perspective. It is not concerned with how 'bad' a person's impairment is. Instead it establishes that everyone is equal and demonstrates that it is society which restricts their opportunities and erects barriers that prevent disabled people from participating fully.

Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) Disability

The Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (c 50) (informally, and hereafter, the DDA) is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom which has now been repealed and replaced by the Equality Act 2010, except in Northern Ireland where the Act still applies. Formerly, it made it unlawful to discriminate against people in respect of their disabilities in relation to employment, the provision of goods and services, education and transport.

Disability Living Allowance (DLA) benefits/concessions

DLA is a weekly payment to help with the extra costs caused by a disability. It is paid at different rates depending on how much help you need because of your disability or terminal illness. You may need a medical assessment to work out what you need. You can apply for DLA whether or not you work and it's for children or adults.

Disabled Person's Railcard benefits/concessions

f you have a disability that makes travelling by train difficult you might qualify for the Disabled Persons Railcard. It allows you to get 1/3 off most rail fares throughout Great Britain, and if you're travelling with an adult companion they also can get 1/3 off their rail fare.

Disabled Student's Allowance benefits/concessions

If you have a disability you might need additional equipment or support to help you access your course. The Disabled Student Allowance (DSA) will help you to cover these additional costs. Depending on your needs, extra support could include specialist equipment, a non-medical helper's allowance or help towards your additional travel costs. These allowances are available if you're studying full-time or part-time in higher education. If you're studying part-time, you must be doing at least the equivalent of half a full-time course. This allowance doesn't depend on your income and you don't have to pay it back.

Disclosure CYP

A statement a child or young person makes to another person that describes the abuse that occurred to them.

Discrimination Disability

"The unjust or prejudicial treatment of different categories of people, especially on the grounds of race, age, or sex." This includes on the grounds of disability (see discrimination-act-dda">Disability Discrimination Act - DDA).

District Nurse adult social care

District Nurses are senior nurses who manage care within the community, leading teams of community nurses and support workers. Typically much of their work involves visiting 'house-bound' patients to provide advice and care, for example, palliative care, wound management, catheter and continence care, medication support. They may be trained to assess patient's needs for equipment provision such as mobility and independent living aids, medical equipment such as specialist beds and mattresses, as well as guidance in applying for grants and welfare benefits. Their work involves both follow-up care for recently discharged hospital inpatients and longer term care for chronically ill patients who may be referred by many other services, as well as working collaboratively with general practitioners in preventing unnecessary or avoidable hospital admissions.

Domiciliary adult social care

Service/Services provided for people in their own homes. They include home care and the services of health workers (e.g. physiotherapists who treat people in their own home).

Dry eye eye condition

Caused by a problem with the tears which leaves eyes feeling dry, scratchy and uncomfortable.

Dystonia other condition

It presents with uncontrollable muscle spasms triggered by incorrect signals from the brain, which can, for some, be painful. It is the 3rd most common movement disorder. Dystonia can affect any region of the body including the eyelids, face, jaw, vocal cords, torso, limbs, hands, and feet. It presents differently depending on the region of the body affected and each type has its own clinical name.