Community Health Charities- March 2012

Approximately 400,000 Americans have multiple sclerosis (MS), and every week about 200 more people are diagnosed. Worldwide, MS affects about 2.5 million people.

MS is a chronic, often disabling disease that attacks the central nervous system, which is made up of the brain, spinal cord and optic nerves. Symptoms may be mild, such as numbness in the limbs, or severe, such as paralysis or loss of vision. Most people are diagnosed between the ages of 20 and 50, although individuals as young as 2 and as old as 75 have developed it. The progress, severity and specific symptoms of MS are unpredictable and vary from one person to another. Today, new treatments and advances in research are giving new hope to people affected by the disease.

During Multiple Sclerosis Awareness Week this March, Community Health Charities joins member charity National Multiple Sclerosis Society in raising awareness of the disease. The Society has also made great strides in helping those affected by MS and their families with vital programs, services, educational opportunities and support groups.

Below you will find a variety of programs and services offered by the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.

Programs for the Newly Diagnosed

MS Next Step® (http://www.nationalmssociety.org/living-with-multiple-sclerosis/society-programs-and-services/ms-next-step/index.aspx)
Hearing the diagnosis of MS is never easy. MS Next Step® is designed to answer the immediate questions that often follow a diagnosis and provides an introduction to MS and the programs and services of the National MS Society. (Also available in Spanish.)
 

Knowledge is Power (http://www.nationalmssociety.org/living-with-multiple-sclerosis/society-programs-and-services/knowledge-is-power/index.aspx)
Knowledge Is Power is a free, in-home educational series for people newly diagnosed with MS and their families. This comprehensive program provides up-to-date facts about many aspects of MS. (Also available in Spanish.)

Programs offering General Support

MS Navigator®
Finding answers and making decisions relies on having the right information at the right time. MS Navigator® provides answers to your questions and access to information about all of the options available to you. Learn more by downloading our MS Navigator brochure (.pdf) (http://www.nationalmssociety.org/living-with-multiple-sclerosis/society-programs-and-services/download.aspx?id=15831) or call an MS Navigator at 1-800-344-4867.

Client Publications (http://www.nationalmssociety.org/multimedia-library/brochures/index.aspx)
More than 60 booklets and brochures are available to people with MS and their families. Categories include General Information, Newly Diagnosed, Employment Issues, Staying Well, Managing Specific Problems, Managing Major Changes and For Children & Teenagers. Publications, including many in Spanish, are available online. (http://www.nationalmssociety.org/multimedia-library/brochures/index.aspx). You can also request publications at 1-800-344-4867 or contactusnmss@nmss.org.

Connection Programs (http://www.nationalmssociety.org/living-with-multiple-sclerosis/connection-programs/index.aspx)
The Society helps people living with MS connect with others to share experiences and provide support. Connection programs include traditional, in-person self-help groups (http://www.nationalmssociety.org/living-with-multiple-sclerosis/connection-programs/local-support-groups/index.aspx), peer-to-peer support, online communities (http://www.nationalmssociety.org/online-community/index.aspx) and other means of bringing people together.

MS Learn Online (http://www.nationalmssociety.org/multimedia-library/webcasts--podcasts/index.aspx)
MS Learn Online is the Society’s educational webcast series. New webcasts appear bi-monthly and past webcasts can be viewed at any time from the Society’s Web site.

Financial Assistance Program (http://www.nationalmssociety.org/living-with-multiple-sclerosis/society-programs-and-services/financial-assistance-program/index.aspx)
This nationwide program is comprised of a range of initiatives that support independence, safety, health and quality of life for people living with MS, as well as their families. This program offers guidance and resources to help contain the financial impact of MS.

Scholarships (http://www.nationalmssociety.org/living-with-multiple-sclerosis/society-programs-and-services/scholarship/index.aspx)
The Society's Scholarship Program helps highly-qualified students who have been diagnosed with MS, or who have a parent with MS, achieve their dreams of going to college.

My Life, My MS, My Decisions (http://www.nationalmssociety.org/living-with-multiple-sclerosis/getting-the-care-you-need/my-life-my-ms-my-decisions/index.aspx)
This program helps people with MS make decisions about all aspects of their health. My Life, My MS, My Decisions includes a DVD and four online classes.

You CAN! (http://www.nationalmssociety.org/living-with-multiple-sclerosis/you-can/index.aspx)
The National MS Society teamed with Can Do Multiple Sclerosis (http://www.mscando.org/) (formerly The Heuga Center for Multiple Sclerosis) to develop this comprehensive series of articles to remind you that, despite the challenges MS brings, you have a whole life to live. You CAN! covers a wide variety of topics and tips.

Timmy’s Journey to Understanding MS (http://www.nationalmssociety.org/multimedia-library/videos--dvds/timmy%E2%80%99s-journey-to-understanding-ms/index.aspx)
In this cartoon, a young boy named Timmy gains a better understanding of MS and becomes more accepting of the unpredictability MS can bring.

Keep S’myelin’: A Newsletter About MS for Children (http://www.nationalmssociety.org/multimedia-library/kids-keep-smyelin/index.aspx)
This newsletter is for children ages 5–12. Each issue addresses a different topic related to MS. Interactive versions are also available on the Web.

Children & Teens with MS: A Network for Families (http://www.nationalmssociety.org/about-multiple-sclerosis/pediatric-ms/pediatric-ms-support-group/index.aspx)
A support and education network for children and teens with MS and their families.

Spanish Resources/Información en Español (http://www.nationalmssociety.org/informacion-en-espanol/index.aspx)
A variety of resources are available for people who speak Spanish.

Source: National MS Society