Newly diagnosed?

One of RCFM’s core services is the rehabilitation plan which offers a holistic description of the patient and a plan of action to increase the patient’s independence and optimize his/her life situation. The plan is usually based on a preliminary physical examination and a subsequent interdisciplinary meeting with the patient and professionals affiliated with the patient in his/her home.

If you or your child is new with the diagnosis or if you experience functional loss that makes it difficult for you or your child to participate in everyday life, our consultants can meet with you and your family to discuss possible solutions.

Depending on the nature of the problem, we invite the professionals you receive help from in your local area to help find the best possible solution. It can be people like you or your child’s social worker, physical therapist and/or school teachers.

Meetings will usually be held in your home or at the place where you or your child experience the problems, for instance your child’s daycare facility or school or your workplace.

A physical evaluation is a report that describes your or your child’s present functional level and gives a prognosis for the progression of your or your child’s disease. The report also describes the current treatment and may suggest new interventions.

If you or your child need help from the social and health system to compensate for your functional level, the report can be used to document your needs.

Physical evaluations are usually carried out at one of RCFM’s clinics in Aarhus and Høje Taastrup.

RCFM helps families and young adults prepare for new stages of life, e.g. moving from day care to school, from secondary school to upper secondary education, choosing a career path, moving away from home, starting a job on special terms or applying for an early retirement.

RCFM’s team of psychologists and family counsellors offer counselling if you or your child in need help to cope with the disease or challenges related to the disease.

The rapid progression of ALS and other motoneuron diseases requires specialized coordination.

RCFM has a task force for motor neuron disease (ALS and MND). The team’s consultants know which and when interventions are required to be at the forefront of the rapid progression of the diseases.

RCFM’s team of ALS/NMD consultants coordinate health and social interventions in collaboration with hospital teams, social authorities and local health providers.

The team offers home visits and network meetings, education for local therapists and carers, and psychological counselling.

If your child is diagnosed with a progressive neuromuscular disease, we offer regular follow-ups at our clinic in Aarhus or Høje Taastrup. The follow-up includes a physical evaluation and a talk about how your son and the family are coping with the disease.

Before the visit, you are welcome to tell us if there is anything that you particularly would like to discuss at the meeting, for example issues regarding school, friends, accessibility, loss of function, help, etc.

After the visit, our counsellors will write up a short report about your son’s current functional level and recommendations for possible interventions.

In RCFM we believe that the more our patients know about their disease, the better they will be able to cope with it.

At our family workshops and seminars, RCFM’s counsellors teach patients and their families about the basic mechanisms behind the neuromuscular diseases –

• why do symptoms occur
• what can you do to postpone them and
• how can symptoms be alleviated with treatment and assistive deivces?

You will also learn to cope with possible psychological reactions.

If you belong to the target group of a workshop or seminar, you will automatically be invited to participate. All courses and seminars are taught in Danish.