If you have a neurological diagnosis you may be offered Occupational Therapy or Physiotherapy.
Referrals to Outpatient Neuro team can be made by your GP, Specialist Nurse, Consultant, or other Allied Health Professional.
Leaning about my diagnosis?
The term ataxia refers to reduced co-ordination of movement. Ataxia can affect the co-ordination of muscles affecting limb and body movements and also the muscles controlling speech, swallowing and eye movements.
Ataxia can be a motor symptom present in a number of different neurological conditions or could be a diagnosis. There are many different types of Ataxia.
For further information on Ataxia click on the following links:
https://www.ataxia.org.uk/about-ataxia-uk/what-is-ataxia/
https://www.ataxia.org.uk/about-ataxia-uk/types-of-ataxia/
https://www.ataxia.org.uk/newly-diagnosed/specialist-ataxia-centres/
There are more than 130 types of brain tumour. Some tumours can be benign (non-cancerous) and some tumours can be malignant (cancerous).
Symptoms and treatment will vary from person to person depending on the type of tumour and where it is located within the brain.
For more information click on the following links:
https://www.thebraintumourcharity.org/
This is a neurological condition caused by increasing damage to nerve cells (neurones) within certain areas of the brain. Damage is caused by a build-up of a specific protein within these nerve cells. The damaged nerve cells do not function well causing problems in different systems of the body such as movement, cognition, speech and swallowing.
For further information on Corticobasal Degeneration click the following link:
What is CBD | Corticobasal Degeneration | Advice & Help (pspassociation.org.uk)
Dystonia is an involuntary contraction of a muscle or muscles which may cause spasms or pull parts of the body into sustained postures. Dystonia may be a motor symptom of a neurological disorder or may be a diagnosis.
For further information on dystonia click the following link:
Functional Neurological Disorder is a brain network disorder, the brain fails to send and/or receive signals (messages) correctly. A person with FND may experience a diverse range of neurological symptoms including limb weakness, paralysis, seizures, walking difficulties, spasms, twitching, sensory issues and more.
These symptoms will vary from person to person.
https://www.fndaction.org.uk/what-is-functional-neurological-disorder/
An acquired brain injury (ABI) is an injury caused to the brain after birth. There are many possible causes, including a fall, a road accident, tumour and stroke. If the head injury is a result of an accident or a fall, it may be called a traumatic brain injury (TBI).
A brain injury can result in many different symptoms and sometimes these can be long lasting and life-long.
Headway - the brain injury association | Headway
Huntington’s disease is an illness caused by an one of the genes in your DNA. Symptoms vary between people but main areas affected include:
Movement (movements may happen that you don’t expect, while doing what you do want to do becomes more difficult)
Cognition (difficulties with planning and thinking)
Behavior (changes in behavior and personality
For more information click on the following links:
Huntington's Disease Association - What is Huntington's disease? (hda.org.uk)
https://www.hda.org.uk/information-and-support/huntingtons-disease/what-is-huntingtons-disease/
Motor Neurone Disease (MND)
Motor Neurone Disease affects the motor neurones. These nerves are located in the brain and spinal cord. Motor neurones help to tell you muscles what to do, including moving, talking and breathing.
This means you will experience a wide variety of symptoms.
For more information click on the following links:
https://www.mndassociation.org
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/motor-neurone-disease/
Multiple Sclerosis (MS)
MS is a progressive neurological condition affecting the nerve cells (neurones) in your brain and spinal cord. In people with MS the body's immune system incorrectly attacks the layer which insulates the nerve cells of the brain and/or spinal cord (myelin) disrupting its functioning.
Specific parts of the brain and spinal cord control functions in different parts of the body, therefore people with MS can be affected in many different ways.
For more information click on the following links:
Multi System Atrophy (MSA)
This is a progressive neurological disorder caused by degeneration in the nerve cells (neurones) within multiple areas of the brain. Certain areas of the brain control different functions of the body, For example, the areas in the front of the brain control some movements of the body and limbs.
Common symptoms include: movement problems, blood pressure control, speech, continence.
For further information on MSA click the following link:
Brief Guide to MSA – Multiple System Atrophy Trust (msatrust.org.uk)
Parkinson’s Disease is a progressive neurological condition caused by an increasing loss of a cells in the brain that produce a chemical in the brain called, dopamine. Insufficient amounts of dopamine create problems with movement (motor problems) and other body systems ( non motor problems) such as cognition and blood pressure regulation.
For further information and resources on Parkinson’s Disease click the following links:
What is Parkinson's? | Parkinson's UK (parkinsons.org.uk)
Parkinson's symptoms | Parkinson's UK (parkinsons.org.uk)
Newly diagnosed with Parkinson's | Parkinson's UK (parkinsons.org.uk)
Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP)
This is a neurological condition caused by increasing damage to nerve cells (neurones) within certain areas of the brain. The damaged nerve cells do not function well causing problems in different systems of the body such as vision, movement, cognition and speech.
For more information on PSP click the following link:
What is PSP | Progressive Supranuclear Palsy | Advice & Help (pspassociation.org.uk)
The central nervous system (CNS) is made up of the brain and spinal cord. The spinal cord is made of nerves taking information to the body from the brain and back to the brain from the body.
A spinal injury refers to damage which occurs to the spinal cord. This can result in impairments to muscles which are supplied by motor nerves which exit the spinal cord, and sensory problems due to damage to the sensory nerves which enter the spinal cord relaying information back up to the brain.
For further information on Spinal Injuries Click on the following link:
Supporting Self Management and healthy choices
Transfers
Take your time get up if you have fallen
plan how to get up before doing it,
move from the floor to a sitting position
ask someone to bring you a stool/chair
push down on the chair to get up
If needed help ask someone to support you at your hips or ribs
Do not panic
do not try to pull up on objects
do not let helpers pull you up from under your arms.
Take the covers off
roll onto your side
put your feet out over the edge of the bed
keep your knees bent approx. 90°
push yourself up with your elbow and hand's by pushing into the mattress
a bed lever can help if needed and also pyjamas that are smooth e.g. satin
Do not sit bolt upright in bed
Do not pull up on the edge of the mattress
Use a chair equal to the height of your knee
Move your bottom to the edge of the chair
Place your feet slightly behind your knees
lean your body forward “nose over toes”
push down on the arms of the chair
stand up tall from your hips followed by your knees
to sit down bend your knees and hips, keep your "nose over toes" to sit down slowly
Do not sit in a low very soft chair
do not stand up without moving to front of the sofa
do not pull up an object in front of you
do not let helpers pull you up from under your arms
do not "collapse/fall back" into the chair to sit down
Local Support
Carers Resource offers a wide range of services to carers. These include information signposting and advice, carer’s time off sitting service and social groups and events.
Click on the link below for more information:
Support for Young and Adult Carers - Carers' Resource (carersresource.org)
The Harrogate Easier Living Project is an organisation that provides support for local people to live safe and well. The project offers several services:
· Signposting to local services
· Befriending
· Transport services with voluntary car drivers
· Help at home for gardening, basic repairs and decorating.
Click on the link below to visit the HELP website:
HELP – Harrogate Easier Living Project (helpharrogate.org.uk)
Medequip
Medequip | Contact our North Yorkshire Service Centres (medequip-uk.com)
Please note, the hospital cannot take back equipment returns. Please contact Medequip for this.
North Yorkshire Council Social services Department can provide support for larger home adaptations. Referrals can be made by residents or Health Care professionals:
North Yorkshire Council Social Services Department can provide an assessment for involvement from adult social care services for care support at home. Referrals can be made by residents or Health Care professionals:
Request involvement from adult social care | North Yorkshire Council
Living well is a service run by North Yorkshire County council aimed to increase the health, wellbeing and independence of adults who are in need of support due to issues such as social isolation, bereavement, and those that are vulnerable. Living well workers work with individuals to help them identify what is important to them, and help them to make simple changes to lifestyle and environment, identifying barrier to change and try to help work out how to overcome those barriers.
The blue book is a summary of activities available for people living with dementia and older people in North Yorkshire and Northumberland.
The website below has a link to an online version and details of where hard copies are available.
Click the link below for The Blue Book website:
The Blue Book | Dementia and Older People | England (the-blue-book.org.uk)
Wheel Chair Center
Use the link below to access the wheelchair center website.
Scroll down to the section "Self-referrals to the wheelchair service" and you'll find the self referral form which can be downloaded.
NRSHealthcare.com | Wheelchair - NRS Healthcare Wheelchair Services | North Yorkshire
William Merritt center can provide assessments of medical fitness to drive, passenger access assessments and driving lessons. Referrals from Health Care Professionals are free of charge.
William Merritt Centre | Enabling Greater Independence (wmdlc.org)