I want to take a minute to wholeheartedly thank Jon Strum for so diligently and eloquently authoring this blog. It is extremely valuable to many out there who may be living in a caregiving situation that is even somewhat similar to Jon’s experience. Jon has a way with his words that poignantly captures not only his daily living activities, but also very accurately his emotions as they vary day to day, just as his wife’s condition may change from day to day. This blog is a fantastic tool and resource for anyone who reads it. Thanks Jon!
As many of you know, National Family Caregivers (NFC) Month is a time to thank all of those individuals who give of their time, energy and efforts year round to help their loved ones in need. The National MS Society is pleased to be an endorsing organization of NFC Month and a part of this campaign to bring attention to the needs of family caregivers. The National Family Caregivers Association (NFCA) leads the NFC Month effort and creates a special Family Caregiver Kit with educational and promotional materials to help you celebrate. Here's what you can do to get involved:
- Remind family caregivers to believe in themselves, protect their health, reach out for help, and speak up for their rights.
- Encourage family caregivers to identify themselves as a family caregiver in conversations with others, including friends and family as well as healthcare professionals.
- Plan your own local NFC Month Celebration. Contact the National Family Caregivers Association at www.thefamilycaregiver.org/ or call (800) 896-3650 to learn more about how you can obtain family caregiver kits and ideas for celebrating National Family Caregivers Month.
During my 5 ½ years working at the National MS Society, I have met and spoken with hundreds of families and caregivers. While there is certainly uniqueness to every family’s home life and situation in dealing with multiple sclerosis, some of the needs of caregivers remain the same. The National MS Society strives to provide various programs and services that will address these needs on a local level. For example, at our local Southern California Chapter, we offer an opportunity for respite care financial assistance, whereby the caregiver of a loved one with MS is allowed a “break” while a caregiver from a licensed home care agency is provided. Respite care is offered once a year, at roughly 6 days for 12 hours per day.
Another potential resource for both the person with MS and the family caregiver is the physical/occupational therapy financial assistance fund. If a person is uninsured or underinsured, a licensed PT or OT is provided in accordance with a doctor’s prescription. The professional does an initial in-home assessment to determine the client’s physical and in-home safety/accessibility needs, and a few follow up sessions are provided so that both the person with MS and the caregiver work as a team to learn and understand how to best implement all professional recommendations.
Several chapters of the National MS Society also offer caregiver support groups, as well as case management services, in which a professional social worker is sent to the client’s home in order to best determine how to help with certain issues such as applying for disability or insurance benefits, in-home meal delivery, coordination of medical care, and much more. For information on what is offered in your area, please call 1-800-FIGHT-MS from anywhere in the country and you will be connected to your closest chapter.
Many cities/towns in all 50 states offer local caregiver resource centers. These are also great potential organizations that can help to address a family’s specific needs. Several of these are listed just to your left on this page under “resources.”
As part of the National MS Society, I want to thank each and every one of you for all of your days and nights of caring. You are providing the most selfless and worthwhile kind of service – a helping hand to someone you love when they need it the most.
Audra Hindes, MSEd, MHC
Director, Services Management
National MS Society - Southern California Chapter
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