Who we care for

We care for people who need neurological or specialist palliative care.

Neurological Conditions 

Neurological conditions impact on the brain, spinal column or nerves and occur when the messages sent back and forth from the brain are disrupted. Many of the conditions we care for at Sue Ryder Care, such as Multiple Sclerosis, Huntington’s Disease, Parkinson’s Disease, Stroke, Motor Neurone Disease and Brain Injury, are called neurological conditions.
 
Neurological conditions can affect people physically in many ways, such as their speech, movement and behaviour. There is currently no cure for these conditions, and their diagnosis in an individual will impact upon entire families.

• 10 million people in the UK have a neurological condition which has a significant impact on their lives
• Approximately 350,000 of these people require help for most of their daily activities
• Over one million people are disabled by their neurological condition
• About one quarter of people aged between 16 and 64 with chronic disability have a neurological condition
• Approximately one third of disabled people living in residential care have a neurological condition

Brain Injury

The brain can be injured as a consequence of a trauma, for example: due to a road traffic accident, fall or a lack of oxygen.

The effects of brain injury can vary significantly and are dependent on the severity of the initial trauma.  Following an injury many elements of brain function can demonstrate problems, including paralysis, loss of sensory abilities, speech, memory loss and behaviour.

A severe brain injury can make it difficult for people to carry on with the simplest tasks of their everyday lives.  All people sustaining a brain injury will need rehabilitation in an attempt to maximise their physical and psychological recovery.  This process can take a very long time and it is difficult to predict the outcome.

Some people are able to recover from their brain injury enough to return to work, but many will return home, although they may require assistance and support for the rest of their lives.  Others may need to live in specialist centres, either permanently or for short periods of time.

• There are approximately 135,000 people in the UK with long term problems due to brain injury

Useful links: http://www.headway.org.uk/

Dementia

Dementia is a broad term which describes a disease where the brain loses function.  There are over 100 different types of dementia.  Alzheimer's disease is the most common type of dementia, which affects 62 per cent of all people who are diagnosed.

Symptoms can include memory loss, confusion and problems with speech and understanding.  All types of dementia are progressive, which means that over time the brain will become more damaged.  Consequently a person’s ability to remember, understand and communicate will steadily worsen.  Dementia is an incurable condition. 

Although people with dementia can stay at home with support in the early stages of the disease, most people in the later and more severe stages of the disease will need to live in a specialist care centre.

• There are approximately 700,000 people with dementia in the UK
• One person in every 14, aged over 65, in the UK has dementia
• One in six people over 80 has dementia
• One in three older people will end their lives with a form of dementia
• More than 60 per cent of all care home residents over 65, have a form of dementia

Huntington’s Disease

Huntington's Disease is a genetic disease which causes nerve cells in the brain to be damaged.  This damage can cause gradual physical, mental and emotional changes.  The disease is hereditary and anyone who has a parent with the condition has a 50 per cent chance of contracting it.  There is a test which can tell if you have inherited the gene. 

Symptoms usually develop when a person is between 30-50 years old and, in the early stages of the disease, can include small uncontrollable movements, stumbling and clumsiness, lack of concentration and short-term memory lapses, depression and mood changes.  As the disease progresses, further symptoms include involuntary muscular movements, difficulty in speech and swallowing, weight loss and emotional changes.

There is no cure for the condition, but other illnesses such as pneumonia tend to cause death.

It is possible to manage some of the symptoms such as the uncontrollable movements.  Although it is possible to live at home in the early stages of the disease, full nursing care is required when the disease becomes more severe.

• Approximately 6-10,000 people in the UK have the condition

Useful links: http://www.hda.org.uk/

Motor Neurone Disease

Motor Neurone Disease is the name given to four related diseases which affect the nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord.  The failure of the cells to function results in a person losing the ability to control their muscles.  The four different types of diseases affect the person in slightly different ways and the rapidity of onset varies from six months to many years.

Symptoms can include pain, muscle cramps and difficulties in moving, swallowing and breathing.  The different forms of Motor Neurone Disease affect different parts of the body.

There is no cure for Motor Neurone Disease, but there are drugs which can slow down the progression of the disease.  Life expectancy for most people with Motor Neurone Disease is about two to five years, and around half will die within 14 months of diagnosis.  This is partly because it can be difficult to tell when someone is experiencing the early symptoms.  About 10 per cent of people will live for about ten years.

As the disease progresses, people with Motor Neurone Disease will need constant nursing care.

• Motor Neurone Disease affects around 5,000 people in the UK
• 2 people per 100,000 are diagnosed with MND every year in the UK

Useful links: http://www.mndassociation.org/

Multiple Sclerosis

The cause of Multiple Sclerosis is unknown. The disease results in damage to a substance called myelin, which surrounds and protects the nerves.  When the myelin is damaged, it interferes with messages between the brain and other parts of the body.  Some people with Multiple Sclerosis can experience periods where the disease is severe, followed by periods where they improve.  Other people will experience a steady progress of the disease. The onset of the disease and its rapidity is often related to the age of the patient

Symptoms can include problems with movement and speech, blurred vision, tiredness, bladder and bowel problems, muscle spasms, stiffness and pain.

Although there is no cure for Multiple Sclerosis, some of the symptoms can be managed by drugs.  The disease is not fatal and some people can live with the disease for many years.

Many people with Multiple Sclerosis continue to live full and productive lives, but as their symptoms become worse, they may need care at a specialist centre.

• Twice as many women as men are diagnosed with MS
• MS affects around 85,000 people in the UK
• MS is the most common disabling neurological condition affecting young adults

Useful links: http://www.mssociety.org.uk/

Parkinson’s Disease

The cause of Parkinson’s disease is unknown. The disease presents itself when the cells that produce a substance called dopamine are no longer able to do so. Dopamine is a chemical transmitter and when no longer present results in a series of disabling physical problems.

Symptoms include tremor, muscle stiffness and slowness of movement.  People with Parkinson’s Disease can experience differences in which symptoms they contract and how fast the disease progresses. The disease is predominantly but not solely related to old age.

There is no cure for the disease, and symptoms may be treated with drugs. Some patients improve as a consequence of neurosurgery. The symptoms will get worse, although there is no set pattern for how the disease will progress.  Parkinson’s Disease itself is not fatal.

Most people with Parkinson’s Disease are able to live at home with suitable support.  However, if the symptoms have become too severe, the person may need to spend time at a specialist care centre.

• There are approximately 120,000 people in the UK living with Parkinson’s Disease

Useful links: http://www.parkinsons.org.uk/

Stroke

A stroke is the common name for a sudden interruption of blood flow or a haemorrhage in the brain. When this happens, the brain doesn’t get the oxygen it needs and brain cells begin to shut down and die. Stroke mainly affects people over 65. Anyone of any age can have a stroke, including children.

Depending on its severity, a stroke can cause death.  Survivors of stroke can experience a number of symptoms, the most common of which are paralysis on one side of the body, drooping and weakness of one side of the face, problems with communication and loss of sight or blurred vision.

A person who has had a stroke will require hospital treatment as soon as possible to identify which parts of the brain have been affected and what damage has been caused.  After they have been treated, they will need rehabilitation to help them recover.

Some people can recover fully from a stroke, but others may need support to manage the lasting effects of the stroke, either at home, in their local community or in a specialist care centre.

• Stroke is the third most common cause of death in the UK
• Every year, an estimated 150,000 people in the UK have a stroke
• More than 250,000 people in the UK live with disabilities caused by stroke

Useful links: http://www.stroke.org.uk/

Specialist Palliative Care

Palliative Care is the care of people whose disease cannot be cured and from which they will not recover. The goal of palliative care is achieving the best quality of life for patients for as long as they live, which can be done by focusing on managing pain and other distressing symptoms, as well as providing psychological, social and spiritual support to them and their families. Specialist Palliative Care is provided by specially trained Consultant doctors, nurses, therapists and carers who are experts in this area of care.

Specialist palliative care can care potentially for anyone with a high level of need. Although traditionally people with cancer have tended to use services the most, it has been demonstrated that people with conditions such as long term neurological conditions, kidney failure, HIV/AIDS and heart failure can benefit significantly.

Specialist palliative care can be provided in people’s homes and communities and in hospices. Sue Ryder care operates a number of specialist palliative care centres that comprise inpatient units where people can stay, day hospice and respite facilities and social work and bereavement services. Sue Ryder Care also provides some specialist community services.

Around 500,000 people die in England every year.

Cancer

Cancer is caused when the process of cells dividing within the body to replace themslves goes out of control.  The cells then continue dividing to produce a lump known as a tumour.  If a tumour is harmless, it is known as benign.  When a tumour is benign, the cells do not spread to other parts of the body and so are not cancerous. If the tumour is not benign, it is known as malignant and contains cancerous cells that can spread into surrounding tissue.  The cancer can then spread to other organs through the bloodstream or immune system.  This is known as a secondary cancer or metasis. 

There are more than 200 different types of cancer, affecting different parts of the body and requiring different types of treatment, which can involve procedures such as surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy. The four most common types of cancer are breast, lung, bowel and prostate cancer, which account for over half of all new cases of cancer diagnosed in the UK.

Some types of cancer can be cured completely and some may come back at a later time. Cancer can be diagnosed at different stages. For people who will not recover from their cancer, they may require specialist palliative care.

More than a quarter of a million people in the UK are diagnosed with cancer every year

One in 3 people will develop cancer in their lifetime

Useful links: http://www.macmillan.org.uk/     http://www.mariecurie.org.uk/     http://www.cancerresearchuk.org/