Archive for the ‘Online Caregiving Resource’ Category.

Multiple Sclerosis Foundation (MSF) Offers Free Resources

An important resource for MS patients and caregivers is the Multiple Sclerosis Foundation (or MSF). The mission of the MSF is to “ensure the best quality of life for those coping with MS by providing comprehensive support and educational programs.”

The quickest way to begin taking advantage of the free resources offered by the MSF is to visit the MSF web site. There you’ll find information about MS; links to information about support programs, grants, patient services; free online publications and fact sheets and information for health care professionals.

MSF’s publications include MSFocus magazine and Support Group News, both available at no cost to MS patients, relatives, caregivers and healthcare professionals. Also, MSFYi is a free email newsletter about the latest developments in MS research and treatment. Visit the MSF Magazines and Newsletters page to subscribe to any of these publications.

All MSF services, information, literature and subscriptions to publications are provided free of charge.

Caregiver Tip: Because of the current wild Winter weather, one of the most appropriate MSF articles to start with is “Emergency Planning“.

ABLEDATA and Assistive Technology

ABLEDATA is an excellent online resource which provides information on products for people with disabilities. ABLEDATA is sponsored by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR), part of the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitation Services (OSERS) of the U.S. Department of Education.

ABLEDATA offers several different types of resources including links to web sites that share information on assistive technology and other disability-related issues, a searchable “Assistive Technology Library”, product reviews, and news items on assistive technology and disability issues.

As examples of what ABLEDATA makes available: in the Caregiver section of the Resources menu there are 60 different resources for caregivers. In ABLEDATA’s long list of fact sheets and consumer guides, you’ll find the very helpful, “Informed Consumer’s Guide to Wheelchair Selection“. and the extensive (and practical), “Intensive Mobility Training for Disabled Drivers for the Safe Use of Power Wheelchairs, Scooters & Automobiles“.

Caregiver Tip: Take advantage of the information available on the ABLEDATA web site.

Inspiring Stories of People with Multiple Sclerosis

It’s normal for us to wonder if our own experiences are similar to others who find themselves in a similar situation. We expect to look around us and see people acting in certain patterns of behavior. We want to believe we all respond in a similar fashion to life’s hurdles. Of course, this isn’t true. And, in regards to Multiple Sclerosis, there are many responses to the disease.

What I find inspiring are the stories of people with Multiple Sclerosis who just won’t quit.

If you find yourself wondering about the stories of other people with MS, you’ll be interested in this YouTube video titled, “Living with Multiple Sclerosis”, about Dan Powell, an art professor at University of Oregon who is living with MS.


100 MS-related Blogs from Brain Cheese

I’m sure it’s because MSCaregiver.com is too new to make it into search engine results that it didn’t make the Brain Cheese list of 100 Blogs written about or by someone with Multiple Sclerosis. The list of 100 MS-related blogs a handy resource you’ll want to explore.