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Motor Neurone Disease – What, Why and Who Can Help

Motor Neurone Disease is a harsh condition where the rate of deterioration is exceptionally fast.

Connecting with the Motor Neurone Disease Association and quality home care providers, like Home Instead Sutton Coldfield, who go above and beyond for their clients, can be a useful way to help family carers and people living with Motor Neurone Disease to live a more dignified and comfortable life before the disease takes over completely.

Every person will experience different symptoms, so it’s vital one works with a home care provider that understands these very needs and develops a structured personalised care plan accordingly. Home Instead Sutton Coldfield can help with this.

What is MND?

Motor Neurone Disease (“MND”) affects up to 5,000 adults in the UK at any one time. There is a 1 in 300 risk of getting MND across a lifetime and it can affect adults of any age but is more likely to affect people over 50.

MND affects the nerves known as motor neurones. These nerves are found in the brain and spinal cord, and they help tell your muscles what to do. In MND, these neurons degenerate and die, causing the muscles to become weaker over time which eventually leads to paralysis.

Female carer combing her clients hair in the afternoon whilst he is sitting down on his bed

What are the symptoms of MND?

MND is a progressive disease that often starts slowly and gets worse over time. The first thing people experience in terms of symptoms are:

  • weakness in their hands and grip
  • slurred speech
  • weakness in their legs, and a tendency to trip
  • weakness of their shoulder, making lifting difficult
  • cramps and muscles twitching

Eventually, individuals living with MND:

  • become very weak and have little or no movement
  • have trouble talking, breathing and swallowing
  • may develop a type of dementia.
Male carer preparing food - fruit, veg and meat - for this elderly client. - Home Instead

What causes MND?

Although the cause of MND is not known, we know that MND cannot be caught through the air and, generally, MND is believed to be caused due to a combination of environmental, lifestyle and genetic factors. If you have an MND-related genetic mutation, your children have a 50% chance of inheriting that MND-related genetic mutation, but it is important to remember that not all people with the genetic mutation will develop MND. Diagnosing MND can be challenging and is based on eliminating everything else.

Carer is assisting an individual to get into bed at night whilst speaking to her and building a long-lasting relationship. - Home Instead

How MND Association can help?

The MND Association fund research, improve care and provide support for people living with MND, their families and carers.

They offer a wide array of services, comprising:

MND Connect Helpline: The MND Connect team offers information and support on all aspects of MND, such as:

  • Information about MND
  • Emotional and practical support
  • Social, practical and financial information
  • Information about local support
  • Information about how the MND Association can support you
  • Signposting to other appropriate services

Financial Support Grants: The MND Association can offer some financial support to help with:

  • cost of living support to help with household bills and food shopping
  • funding equipment and services that people with MND have been assessed as needing
  • funding for children and young people living with someone with MND
  • non-paid carers supporting someone living with MND
  • improving quality of life for someone living with MND

Communication Aids Service: MND Association can offer equipment loan and financial support for communication aids, including adapted switches or devices to use computers. They also provide guidance on how to obtain equipment and support from health and social care services, where some items may be free of charge.

Equipment Loan: MND Association provide a loan service that can help with a limited range of equipment where it is not readily available from a statutory source.

Wheelchair Support Service: The MND Association has worked with three wheelchair manufacturers to develop several different models of the Powered Neuro Wheelchair which are suited to the needs of most people with MND and other similar progressive conditions.

A carer taking a more hands-on approach to get somebody out of bed. - Home Instead

If you would like to find out more about our exceptional specialised home care services and how we could further support you or your loved ones living with MND or any other condition, please call us on 0121 323 4200 or visit www.homeinstead.co.uk/sutton-coldfield. We know that family carers suffer more from mental health than individuals living with MND so please reach out to Home Instead Sutton Coldfield if you would like to talk to a listening ear.