Blood Tests
A blood test is a medical procedure that allows a nurse/collector to take blood from a person for the purpose of examining it.
The thought of getting a blood test can bring about much anxiety for people. There are two major concerns:
- The fear of the needle going into the arm and the pain
- The emotional fear of seeing your blood being removed
For people with intellectual disabilities, this fear can be even more extreme, simply because they are not sure of what is going to happen to them. This website will take you through the journey of getting a blood test. It will outline the major steps involved as well as giving some educational material on what a blood test is and what you need to do before and after a blood test.
Desensitisation Programs for Having a Blood Test
There are various programs following with different information. There is a version for people with intellectual disabilities and one for carers and/or professionals. If you have difficulty in downloading information from the Internet, then click on the desensitisation program without pictures.
For People with Intellectual Disabilities
- Blood Test (pictures included) (PDF 98KB)
- Blood Test (pictures not included) (PDF11KB)
For Carers or Professionals
- Blood Test (pictures included) (PDF 102KB)
- Blood Test (pictures not included) (PDF 13KB)