Raising Awareness Of MS Caregiver Needs

Multiple Sclerosis, or MS, is a chronic, debilitating disease of the central nervous system that can significantly impact the lives of people living with the condition, as well as families and loved ones.1,2 Due to the unpredictable nature of the disease, MS caregivers (also called “support partners” or “care partners”) can face many challenges while navigating the often-changing care needs for their loved one.3

Mature adult holding hands

To help improve caregiver support, the STEP ProgramTM provided a total of USD 150 000 to two organizations for their proposals that demonstrate innovation in emotional support, physical care, and everyday assistance needs.

Funded programs include:

Accelerated Cure Project’s iConquerMS Caregiver ConnectionTM - Provides emotional support, everyday assistance, and other community-building resources to MS caregivers through easy access to dedicated MS caregiver resources, a peer-to-peer discussion forum, and social media platforms.

Can Do MS’s Communication Guide for Support Partners and People Living with MS -Includes multimedia and individualized toolkits that will provide resources and tips to help manage challenges of MS caregiving.

References

  1. Multiple sclerosis FAQs. National Multiple Sclerosis Society. https://www.nationalmssociety.org/What-is-MS/MS-FAQ-s. Published 2019. Accessed November 26, 2019.
  2. McKeown L, Porter-Armstrong A, Baxter G. Caregivers of people with multiple sclerosis: experiences of support. Multiple Sclerosis Journal. 2004;10(2):219-230. doi:10.1191/1352458504ms1008oa. Published September 1, 2004. Accessed August 11, 2021.
  3. The National Alliance for Caregiving, National MS Society. Multiple sclerosis caregivers. https://www.nationalmssociety.org/NationalMSSociety/media/MSNationalFiles/Brochures/Brochure-A-Guide-for-Caregivers.pdf Accessed November 26, 2019.