News & Events
MND Association welcomes promise to improve end of life care
17 July 2008
The Motor Neurone Disease (MND) Association warmly welcomes the publication of the Government’s first End of Life Care Strategy. The strategy includes many of the Association’s recommendations and hopes it will help secure dignity in dying for people with MND.
The Motor Neurone Disease (MND) Association believes that it is vital that people living with MND are able to remain in control of their care and how they spend their final days. Five people a day die from MND and too many of them spend their final days in hospital.
The Department of Health has recognised that whilst some patients receive excellent care, others do not. The aim of the strategy is to deliver improvements in choice, quality of care and equity of access for people across England.
Sharon Schillerstrom, Care Information Development Manager comments: “As MND progresses people often lose their ability to speak, making it much more difficult for them to take part in full discussions about their care.
“That’s why we are so pleased the strategy supports the MND Association’s Standards of Care and recommends specialist palliative care should be offered to people with rapidly progressive diseases from the point of diagnosis.”
The Association also supports the strategy’s recommendation that hospices should ensure equity of access to their services for people with conditions other than cancer.
Jean Waters was diagnosed with MND in July 2004 says: “Death should be allowed to happen with dignity and I would want to die happy in the knowledge that my family are being advised and supported by people who fully understand what is happening and can guide them through a difficult time.”
The Motor Neurone Disease (MND) Association believes that it is vital that people living with MND are able to remain in control of their care and how they spend their final days. Five people a day die from MND and too many of them spend their final days in hospital.
The Department of Health has recognised that whilst some patients receive excellent care, others do not. The aim of the strategy is to deliver improvements in choice, quality of care and equity of access for people across England.
Sharon Schillerstrom, Care Information Development Manager comments: “As MND progresses people often lose their ability to speak, making it much more difficult for them to take part in full discussions about their care.
“That’s why we are so pleased the strategy supports the MND Association’s Standards of Care and recommends specialist palliative care should be offered to people with rapidly progressive diseases from the point of diagnosis.”
The Association also supports the strategy’s recommendation that hospices should ensure equity of access to their services for people with conditions other than cancer.
Jean Waters was diagnosed with MND in July 2004 says: “Death should be allowed to happen with dignity and I would want to die happy in the knowledge that my family are being advised and supported by people who fully understand what is happening and can guide them through a difficult time.”
