Thinking Outside the Box while Placing the Patient in a Box: Challenges Faced and Lessons Learned by a Transdisciplinary Team While Caring for a Patient with Huntington's Disease

The transdisciplinary team members at a large inpatient hospice facility faced numerous challenges providing care for a patient with end-stage Huntington’s disease.  The patient’s constant choreiform movements forced the team to think creatively about all aspects of his care from bedding, personal care, nutrition, psychosocial and spiritual needs, to communication needs.  Team members held multiple viewpoints of what might be considered ideal patient care for this patient, while also providing care for other patients and families in the facility. Multiple interventions were tried and adapted as the patient’s condition changed.  This session will offer insights about how different disciplines viewed the holistic care of a hospice patient with Huntington’s disease and how the team engaged in problem-solving within the transdisciplinary team framework.