Scottish Huntington’s Association (SHA) was established in 1989 by families living with the progressive, genetic, neurological condition, Huntington’s disease (HD). It is the only charity dedicated to supporting individuals and families with the condition, in Scotland.
Huntington’s disease is a genetic condition, affecting children and adults, which causes progressive neurological symptoms: impaired motor function (e.g. loss of speech and swallow), early onset dementia, mental illness. There is currently no cure and the condition is significantly life-limiting. Although relatively rare, 1100 people in Scotland have this disease and another 5,000 live with the genetic risk (each child with one parent who has HD has a fifty percent chance of inheriting it).
The Pixel Fund has generously supported our HD Specialist Service - a network of eight regional Huntington’s disease Specialist teams across Scotland who ensure the needs of individuals and families are understood by providing specialist assessment, ensure that person-centred support that is right for each individual is in place by acting as care coordinators, supporting other agencies and improving quality of support through training and education.
Our HD Specialists visit individuals in their own homes, working together on issues such as; employability, memory impairment, isolation, financial matters and depression, to improve quality of life and enable individuals to live independently for as long as possible. For those we support our HD Specialists are a valued and trusted source of expert information, advice and support.
On behalf of Scottish Huntington’s Association