|
Services
for you and your family
The MS Society offers a variety of programs
to help people affected by multiple sclerosis effectively manage
and cope with the disease. MS can be quite challenging at times,
but through the support offered by the MS Society, no one has to
face these challenges on their own. The following programs are offered
in most chapters and units:
Information and referral
The most frequent request that the MS Society receives from
people diagnosed with multiple sclerosis is for information
about the disease. You can turn to the MS Society to find credible
and reliable information about MS diagnosis, symptoms, treatments,
research, programs and other topics such as employment, insurance
and family issues. We provide resources to meet your needs,
whether you have MS, are a caregiver of someone with multiple
sclerosis, a spouse or partner, a parent of a child with MS,
or a teen with MS.
In addition to providing information on multiple
sclerosis and related issues, the MS Society provides referral
services and connects people with MS and their caregivers to
vital community support resources. Depending on the community,
people with MS may have access to a wide range of programs and
services such as exercise classes, transportation assistance,
homecare and many others. On a community-by-community basis,
the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada maintains a database
of appropriate resources that can help people manage MS and
cope with it in their daily lives.
There is no charge to obtain information
or referral services. However, information is distributed with
the understanding that people use it for their own use and not
for reproduction or profit. The Multiple Sclerosis Society of
Canada is a licensee of ACCESS and abides by Canadian and international
copyright law.
For further information online, please visit
the Multiple Sclerosis
section as well as Government
programs that can help under Other resources.
back to
top
Supportive counselling
The MS Society of Canada can help you navigate
the challenges that multiple sclerosis presents through our
supportive counselling services.
Supportive counseling provides people with
MS as well as their families and friends with reliable, up-to-date
information on multiple sclerosis, a compassionate and accepting
space in which to share your questions or thoughts. We can also
help you identify options or solutions to your unique concerns
and circumstances.
If you are someone with MS, someone going
through the diagnosis process, or close to someone with MS and
have questions or concerns, please contact us. We can talk about
what you are going through. Call your local MS Society division
office at 1-800-268-7582 or to find the nearest MS Society office,
visit In Your Community.
The MS Society does not provide therapeutic
counselling, which is a process between a qualified professional
counsellor and an individual.
back to
top
Support and self-help groups
Self-help groups are an informal way to link
people who share common concerns or experiences. All self-help
programs have the same goals:
- to give and receive emotional support
and
- to give and receive practical ideas in dealing with
problems common to members of the group
Confidentiality is a key component of all
support and self help groups.
Self-help is based on the idea that no one
knows more about a problem than those living with it. Each person
is an expert because of his/her own experiences. For people
with MS, it may be difficult at times to talk about MS fatigue
with family and friends who may not grasp what it is like –
but people in the support group will often understand based
upon their experiences. Self help groups have also been set
up for caregivers and family members of people with MS.
In a self-help group, individuals share not
only their problems but their successes. Sharing and talking
with others who have had either the same or similar experiences,
helps people to discover they are not alone and that there are
others who understand what they are going through.
Support and self-help programs may not solve
all problems, but they do offer realistic support, encouragement
and hope and are one of the most valued services the MS Society
offers.
To find out about support and self-help groups
in your area, please contact your MS Society division office
at 1-800-268-7582 or to find your closest MS Society office,
visit In Your Community.
Other resources:
The Multiple
Sclerosis International Federation (MSIF) offers a unique
online mutual support forum, which is user-friendly and free
to subscribers. This online forum provides a safe environment
for people affected by MS to share diary entries, communicate
using instant messaging and create buddy lists. Click
here to join MSIF’s My World of MS.
back to
top
Recreation and social programs
Recreation programs provide opportunities
for people living with MS to have fun, highlight the positive,
rediscover old pleasures and regain self confidence. They encourage
people with multiple sclerosis to try new activities, get together
with others, make new friends and to mingle in a friendly and
caring atmosphere.
Recreational programs can take many forms.
Some chapters have developed swimming programs, tai chi, yoga
classes, social activities, "day away programs" and
summer programs.
Other chapters have developed partnerships
with local community groups or organizations who provide programs
that accommodate persons with physical disabilities i.e. YMCA,
March of Dimes, Centres for Independent Living, etc.
Social programs offered by chapters and units
give members the opportunity to meet face to face on a casual
basis and can serve to celebrate the work of the chapter. The
most common social events include Christmas parties and summer
barbeques.
back to
top
Financial assistance
The MS Society offers two types of funding;
equipment purchase and permanent loan as well as special assistance
programs. Please note that funding programs vary from province-to-province.
The MS Society of Canada does not offer financial
assistance for medications or disease modifying therapies, however,
for information on funding programs for medication / therapies,
please visit:
Equipment purchase or permanent
loan
The most common service provided by most
divisions and chapters is assistance with equipment to help
people with MS maximize their quality of life. Divisions and
chapters manage this service in various ways:
- Information and advocacy to assist people
in understanding the resources available to them through their
own benefits programs and the provincial health system, etc.
- Full or partial purchase of equipment
or permanent loan
Special assistance
Special assistance programs provide limited
financial assistance to people with MS to cover services that
are not available through any other government or community
agency. In some cases, special assistance funds may also be
used to augment existing services that do not meet the needs
of individuals living with MS (i.e. to supplement a chronic
home care program).
The goal of the program is to enhance quality
of life and encourage the person with multiple sclerosis to
maintain as much physical independence and emotional well being
as possible.
Due to limited resources, funding programs
are not available in all chapters and divisions. Items that
are funded through special assistance programs may also vary
from office to office.
back to
top
|
