A Look at Huntington's Disease

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Huntington's disease is a rare inherited condition that damages certain nerve cells in the brain.

 

The brain damage gets progressively worse over time and can affect movement, cognition (perception, awareness, thinking, judgement) and behaviour.

 

Early features can include personality changes, mood swings, fidgety movements, irritability and altered behaviourIn this programme,

 

Carol Dutton, a Charity Worker for the Huntington's Disease Association tells us about the illness and how she goes about supporting people with the disease.

 

We hear how it affects families and we ask why support is not funded by the NHS instead of them relying on charity workers.

 

We find out why she became a charity worker looking after families with Huntington's disease and how families cope with her help with the disease which eventually leads to death of the patient

 

We hear first hand how the Government welfare cuts have impacted on sufferers of Huntington's disease. 

 

She tells of sufferers with terminal illness having to visit food banks and how people who shake and can’t speak are expected to go before an assessment panel in order to get a Personal Independence Payment (the successor to Disability living allowance) as their only means of income

 

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