Connected Care – Highlights and insights from the 2026 Growing Older with Learning Disabilities Conference

Bild’s Growing Older with Learning Disabilities (GOLD) Conference 2026 proved once again to be a moving and inspiring event. Our Chairs for the day – Aisha Edwards and David Harling – highlighted the GOLD conference as a unique space that brings together researchers, practitioners and people with lived experience to share solutions and drive change.

Morning highlights – understanding lived realities

We began with the challenging reality many family carers face, where care too often comes in silos. Jennie Clark, a family carer of her sister who has Down’s syndrome, led the call for better quality, connected care for people with learning disabilities.

Next Marlene Kelly from IMPACT spoke of the innovative housing solutions emerging through research and from listening to people living in supported housing. Choice, independence and flexibility in the face of people’s changing needs came through as central to people’s wellbeing when providing suitable housing.

Dr Carys Banks then addressed the topic of loneliness and how research by the NIHR and University of Sussex is highlighting how vital empathy is in providing quality connected care.

In depth workshops

Delegates explored topics in depth through interactive workshops, gaining practical tools to take back to their own settings. There were a wide variety of topics such as the role of medication, end of life care, and working through resources such as the Dementia Workbook by the Down’s Syndrome Association.

Afternoon highlights – confronting inequalities and shaping change

After lunch, Professor Sara Ryan and Pam Bebbington shared findings of the Growing Older, Planning Ahead project. The findings were challenging and accused society of ‘social murder’ – allowing people with learning disabilities to lead dull, disconnected lives rather than supporting full, healthy lives.

The challenges continued with Professor Stuart Todd and researchers from Kingston University. The team presented new research that showed the poorer quality end of life care experienced by people with learning disabilities who died of unanticipated causes.

Next, parent carer and campaigner Ramandeep Kaur spoke about navigating health services as a family from minoritised ethnic communities. Ramandeep flagged the microaggressions, cultural stereotypes and racism that people from minoritised communities can experience, calling for a culture of ‘support not suspicion’.

Chaired by Bild’s Kate Brackley, we then heard an interview with Dr Mark Spencer and Hannah Fletcher about how a community café in Fleetwood has become the beating heart of a disadvantaged area. This innovative and hugely successful project is supporting health and wellbeing by enabling meaningful social connection and community involvement.

Finally, Senior Strategic Learning Disabilities Dietitian, Noor Al-Refae reminded us that connected care must be holistic. Noor addressed the higher rates of physical inactivity and weight-related concerns that people with learning disabilities face disproportionately.

Connected care – a willingness to do things differently

Our Chairs rounded up a challenging yet encouraging day, highlighting the bold innovation and calls for change shared by our speakers.

The conference made clear that to provide high quality, connected care for people with learning disabilities, we must be willing to do things differently, seeking innovative solutions and questioning accepted norms.