Home- and community-based medical care for neurodegenerative diseases: Als as an illustration

Abstract

Neurodegenerative diseases generally have a slow, progressive course involving a great deal of suffering for patients. We need to be patient and tolerant when facing such a disease, and to this end we should develop an efficient system of multidisciplinary care, both physical and psychological. For home-health based care, a multidisciplinary approach to planning treatment is required, involving a team that includes a number of doctors and other healthcare professionals who are experts in different fields. For neurodegenerative diseases, the primary disciplines involved are medicine, nursing, physical and rehabilitation medicine, caregiving, and welfare etc. The condition of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) brings difficulties that can cause worry or emotional stress. A patient and their family members have to endure the stresses and strains of daily life with the disease. For a patient to enjoy a worthwhile and relatively stable life, we need to provide multidisciplinary care.