I think the example for motor neuron disease, ALS, is that palliative care can be involved very early, even from the time of diagnosis, particularly if there’s a short prognosis and people may have had a year before they actually get the diagnosis from their first symptom. Certainly, the NICE guidance in the UK advises and suggests that palliative care is involved very early on, and that there would be some palliative care expertise, either a member of the existing team or a palliative care specialist coming in on the multidisciplinary team who’s involved in that person’s care...
I think the example for motor neuron disease, ALS, is that palliative care can be involved very early, even from the time of diagnosis, particularly if there’s a short prognosis and people may have had a year before they actually get the diagnosis from their first symptom. Certainly, the NICE guidance in the UK advises and suggests that palliative care is involved very early on, and that there would be some palliative care expertise, either a member of the existing team or a palliative care specialist coming in on the multidisciplinary team who’s involved in that person’s care. And I think that’s the example really for other neurological diseases and progressive diseases, that palliative care should be available throughout the disease progression. Now, it’s always important to remember what we’re talking about, and I think that all professionals, and particularly neurologists, will be providing palliative care for their patients. They’ll be listening and helping them to talk about their illness. They’ll be helping them make decisions and set the goals that they wish to make for their lives and their plans ahead, and making sure that their symptoms are controlled, and that should be part of everybody’s care. And the need for a more specialist approach from a specialist team may only really be for people with more complex needs, whether that’s physical issues, psychological, social, or spiritual issues. So, I think there is a role throughout the disease, which may be variable. There might be a time when someone has fewer problems and doesn’t need more input from palliative care, and other times, perhaps when they’re having new symptoms, new problems, new issues, that the palliative care team and the approach is more appropriate.
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