• Information
• Publications
• Glossary
• Neurological centres
• Headstrong
• Information Access toolkit
  • About the Toolkit
  • Overview of the Toolkit
  • How to use the Toolkit
  • How this Toolkit was developed
  • Information is important
  • Section one: Setting up systems
  • Section two: Providing a named contact
  • Section three: Information about local services
  • Section four: Information on managing a condition
  • Section five: Information about social inclusion
  • Section six: Assessing information needs
  • Resource Pages
  • Reource page one
  • Resource page two
  • Resource page three
  • Resource page four
  • Resource page five
  • Resource page six
  • Resource page seven
  • Resource page eight
  • Resource page nine
  • Resource page ten
• Communication skills project

Information should be given about the following issues:

• General information about the condition
• How to manage symptoms
• Possible treatments (if any)
• Possible course of the condition (recognising that it is not always predictable)
• Physical symptoms to expect and those to be concerned about
• Information on exercise and diet (if relevant for condition)
• Any key safety/legislation issues (e.g. driving, bathing)
• Information for family and carers (and to help explain to carers and family)

Remember:

- It is important to give written information to support a verbal explanation as people may miss part of the explanation if they are distressed or anxious.

- Any questions that people raise should be answered as fully as possible or an alternative source of information provided. People are often concerned about “social” issues such as giving up work and financial support at diagnosis or very soon afterwards.