- The National Family Caregivers Association: Free member benefits include: a quarterly newsletter, a useful guide to resources, and a support hotline.
- The Well Spouse Association: Publishes a quarterly newsletter and provides networking/local support groups.
- Caring Today and Today's Caregiver: magazines that offer news, resources, and sometimes a much-needed laugh.
- Continuum: St. Louis company that is committed to meeting care needs at every stage of life. Its services include: private duty home care, nursing, retirement community programs, personal emergency medical response systems, bill paying and geriatric care management.
- St. Andrews Senior Services: offers retirement living options, lifestyle security, enhanced well-being and health, and independence to thousands of seniors. St. Andrews provides care management services, senior housing, at-home services, Elder Care Specialists and many more resources and programs to assist seniors.
- Jewish Family and Children Services: Provides families in our community with the resources they need to meet the challenges of everyday living. Services include therapy, care management and homemaker services, a food pantry, and much more.
- Lutheran Senior Services: Offers older adult lifestyle resources and options with Christian love and care. Services include resources about independent living, residential care/assisted living, skilled nursing care, affordable housing, in-home services, hospice care, and much more.
- Respite Care Services: Respite care services assist caregivers by taking over caregiver responsibilities for a short amount of time. If you need respite care, the National MS Society can guide you to find a licensed agency, like a long-term care facility, private duty care agency or hospital. In limited circumstances financial assistance may be available.
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Department of Veteran Affairs Caregiver Initiatives
The Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) recently launched two new exciting initiatives for caregivers of Veterans, with one specifically for caregivers of Veterans with MS. The first is the National Caregivers Support Line, a telephone-based information line for family members and loved ones who provide care for Veterans who are living with the effects of war, disability, chronic illness, or aging. Licensed clinical social workers are available to answer questions, listen to concerns and link callers to the Caregiver Support Coordinator at their local VA Medical Center. The support line is open Monday-Friday 8:00 am to 11:00 pm Eastern Time, and Saturday from 10:30 am to 6:00 pm Eastern Time. For more information call 1-855-260-3274 or visit www.caregiver.va.gov.
The second initiative is a monthly support and education conference call for caregivers of Veterans with MS, where caregivers can connect and share their experiences. In addition to time for networking, educational topics and resources will also be discussed. The group meets the fourth Monday of every month from 8-9 pm ET (7-8 pm CT, 6-7 pm MT, 5-6 pm PT). The call-in number is 1-800-767-1750, access code 43157#. For more information on this monthly support group please contact the group’s facilitator, Maggie Kazmierski, LCSW-C at 1-800-464-6295, ext. 6095/410-605-7000
DISCLAIMER: The National Multiple Sclerosis Society does not endorse products, services, or manufacturers. Programs appear above solely because they are considered valuable information and you may find them beneficial. The Chapter assumes no liability for these programs or the use or contents of any product or service mentioned. Additionally, it is important to note that any person registering for the program(s) listed above will be sharing their personal information with an organization outside of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.