Motor neurone disease forces changes in family roles and relationships and children may need specialised support and/or counselling (MND Australia 2014).
Gallagher and Monroe 2006
All patients have a family, whether they live alone, are a sole survivor or part of a large intergenerational group. The family is a complex system that changes over time, and has a past and a future that exerts pressures on the present. Patients will also connect to other networks containing significant relationships, some of which may be more important than biological links.
Help for the family can get lost in anxiety for the patient.
MND Australia 2014
Consider ways of:
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balancing the needs of the person living with MND and other family members
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counteracting isolation of individuals and promoting awareness of each other’s needs
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creating opportunities for expressing negative feelings without feeling guilty
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preventing carer burn out
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addressing the differing information and support needs of the patient and carer.
The MND Australia ‘Talking with Young People about MND' information pack is designed for parents to assist them to talk about MND with their children.