Our Treatment Philosophy for the Huntington's Disease Service
We are committed to providing a truly person-centred service and offer a warm, positive and empathic approach. We have created a safe, structured but flexible, and comfortable unit for our service users, which provides a homely environment emphasising optimal independence, quality of life, respect and choice.
Initially a full assessment of the individual’s needs is undertaken, following which a care plan is produced which is constantly reviewed by the multidisciplinary team. This includes a comprehensive review of any associated risks, particularly those most relevant to Huntington’s disease such as swallowing and nutrition, challenging behaviour, pressure area care, falls and vulnerability associated with impulsiveness and other aspects of cognitive impairment.
Treatment gains and preservation of function are measured using a variety of tools suitable for Huntington’s, some which have been created via an active research programme within St Andrew’s and approved for use by the Huntington’s Disease Association (HDA). Our practices are regularly audited against professional and industry standards and we have close relationships with the HDA, including recently contributing to their Standards of Care and facilitating a local special interest group for professionals and a support group for relatives. We provide specialist training concerning Huntington’s to our staff and are represented on the Euro-HD Network working groups.
We always encourage service users to be involved in their care and to comment on how the service functions and could be improved. Regular service user groups occur and representatives provide input to both divisional and charity wide service user groups to ensure their views are heard and included in decision making.