Are You A Healthcare Professional
The primary goals of any healthcare provider are to enhance the functioning, self-esteem, comfort and perceived quality of life of the person with ALS. Healthcare providers have a responsibility to inform people living with ALS of all options available to them, and should provide an accepting environment in which decisions and choices regarding therapy can be made. All healthcare providers should provide the ongoing teaching to make symptom management efficient and effective.
The management of ALS must begin with a partnership formed between the client and the healthcare "team" which supports the individual. ALS is a disease of devastating loss, and assessment can be terribly discouraging. Many of our clients feel that the medical world has nothing to offer them beyond the continued report of their increasing physical disabilities. There is no cure, and little treatment, but ALS Society of Manitoba implores you, the health care providers of our community, to always bear in mind the loss of dignity, ability and often hope that accompany diagnosis.
The information provided here, on our site, is taken from the Resources for Healthcare Providers brochure, compiled by the ALS Society of Canada. To view the entire guide, go to the ALS Society of Canada’s website at http://www.als.ca/als_healthcare_resource.shtml. The roles of healthcare providers vary from location to location, and common practices are hard to find due to human resources, funding, etc. The descriptions that follow represent one possible configuration of roles and tasks.
One of the roles of ALS Society of Manitoba is education-including education for healthcare professionals. We will be holding workshops and lectures specifically for healthcare providers from time to time. If you are interested in attending one of these sessions, or being a participant/speaker/presenter, please contact the Client Services Coordinator at (204)831-1510.
Whatever your designation, the ALS Society would like to hear from you, whether it be for advice, a new piece of information or tips that we can pass along to our clients. We would like this portion of our site to be as interactive and assistive as possible, with the end result being the best quality of life and case management for the ALS client.
If you have healthcare information for professionals, please contact ALS Society of Manitoba at ed@alsmb.ca.