QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS PAGE

 QUESTION:

S.P. is living at home with spouse and teenage children, but the situation becomes quite stressful for all at times. Emotions, moods and expressed feelings of everyone can be unpredictable. S.P. in particular can act in unexpected ways and appears to lack awareness about the feelings of other family members. While at most times we can all cope and live with the changing communication and relationships, there are more times when S.P's behaviour is too difficult to modify.

What can we do when tempers flare, verbal language is foul and there is a hint of violence appearing?

ANSWER:

Each member of the family needs to have a confidant and friend so that they are able to express their own feelings and get feedback about how best to handle the situation.

 Family discussions during a quieter time may be helpful to clarify the acceptable limits of communication and actions by everyone. It may be useful for everyone to agree on certain strategies they take when any situation appears to be escalating.

 Help and advice may be available through a local family relationship and counselling service. Or any family member could contact one of the telephone counselling services. The Field Officer, General Practitioner or Medical Specialist may have knowledge of local services, so ask them. It may be that there are other specific reasons or causes for the changes within the family household and these need to be identified and dealt with.

 It may depend on the perceived severity and frequency of the "incidents" as to whether assistance comes from within the family members, from friends, from general relationship & family services, or from a range of specialists. For the mental and social wellbeing of S.P. spouse and children, bringing the problems into the open is usually a positive step.

 QUESTION:

S.P. is insistent on "doing his/her own thing" and this results in S.P. not sleeping at the usual hours and avoiding showering or attending to cleaning teeth etc. This makes life very unpleasant at home and must be aggravating S.P's health.

 ANSWER: Firstly you may wish to reflect on how this situation arose: was it gradually over a long period or was it suddenly. In the positive self-management of Huntingtons S.P would sustain the usual day-night patterns and start each day with a personal hygiene routine. If S.P. never had a routine type life then this means adopting a new pattern of living. And if there are few tangible reasons to get up in the morning and TV during the night is more motivating then it is difficult to switch. S.P may need a mentor to prompt and assist getting "on track" to meet the previous and usual standards and patterns.

 But, it could be that there is an underlying cause: depression, cognitive impairment or other symptoms which may be treated. So, make sure that medical-disability advice is sought and assistance from outside of the home provided if appropriate.