Janet Anderson NA Material Hazard Communications / HSE
My Mom received support from a United Way agency, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Association St. Louis Regional Chapter since 2008. Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis is better known as ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease). My mother was diagnosed in October 2008 although looking back we believe that her symptoms may have started a couple of years earlier. The ALS Association assigned a social worker to Mom and followed up with her needs several times a year.
The ALS Association partners with the Saint Louis University Department of Neurology & Psychiatry to conduct a certified ALS clinic which patients attend quarterly. The clinic is multi-disciplinary which means that the patient will see the Neurologist, physical therapist, occupational therapist, speech therapist, pulmonary therapist, chaplain, and dietician on each visit. This really cuts down on unnecessary travel which is important since ALS affects some patient’s ability to walk.
The ALS Association also maintains a loan closet for durable medical equipment and physical therapy aids. For example, my Mother was able to borrow a lift chair from the ALS Association which served her needs for a couple of years. Another very valuable loaned item was a power wheelchair; these highly customized chairs meet the needs of ALS patients and cost between $20 and $30,000 dollars – the ability to borrow this device was a life-enhancing experience.
The ALS Association connected us to volunteers who came and built a wheelchair ramp at my Mom’s home. This assistance from the ALS Association backed by the United Way enabled my Mom to live out her life in her home. Our family is grateful for the support and wonderful people that we met through the United Way and the ALS Association.