Caring for someone with a chronic illness like multiple sclerosis can be deeply satisfying. Partners, family, and friends can be drawn more closely together when they meet the challenges. Caregiving can also be physically and emotionally exhausting, especially for the person who is the primary caregiver. The Eastern NC Chapter is proud to provide support for families and caregivers.
The National MS Society provides a host of resources from brochures to books on advice for hiring home health aides and caregiver related research. Find out more here.
Caregiver books available through the chapter’s Lending Library:
- Living with Multiple Sclerosis: A Handbook for Families by Robert Shuman and Janice Schwartz
- Creative Caregiving, Positive Caregiver Attitudes, Preventing Caregiver Burnout, Coping With Caregiver Worries, and The Magic of Humor in Caregiving by James R. Sherman, PhD
- Always On Call: When Illness Turns Families Into Caregivers by the United Hospital Fund
- Dirty Details: The Days and Nights of a Well Spouse by Marion Deutsche Cohen
- Mainstay: For the Well Spouse of the Chronically Ill by Maggie Strong
- Multiple Sclerosis: A Guide for Families by Rosalind Kalb, PhD
- The Comfort of Home: An Illustrated Guide for Caregivers by Maria M. Meyer with Paula Derr, RN
- Love, Honor, & Value: A Family Caregiver speaks out About the Choices & Challenges of Caregiving by Suzanne Geffen Mintz
- Many more...
Caregiver Support Organizations
- Caregiver.com maintains one of the most visited caregiver sites on the Internet. Caregiver.com publishes “Today’s Caregiver Magazine” and also provides links to many resources such as government and nonprofit agencies.
- Well Spouse Foundation publishes “Mainstay,” a bi-monthly newsletter and provides networking and local support groups.
- National Family Caregiver Association provides free member benefits such as the “Take Care!” quarterly newsletter, “The Resourceful Caregiver” guide to resources, and a support hotline.
- Caregiver Resource Center (301-754-7152) provides a wide spectrum of information and support and offers caregiver support groups.