Improving Mental Health and Wellness

Posted on March 29, 2021 by MSAA

MS Awareness Month

Dr. Adam Kaplin, Dr. Annette Okai, Dr. Amy Sullivan, Dr. Mitzi Williams

For this year’s MS Awareness Month campaign, MSAA provided a number of digital resources focusing on Improving Mental Health and Wellness. This campaign featured webinars, a podcast episode, and insights from MS experts covering topics, such as:

Purpose in Life (PIL) – This research area focuses on the interactions between mind and body in powerful ways. PIL has been shown to significantly support the central nervous system, cardiovascular health, and even the immune system. Explore the concept and learn how to develop and foster your own Purpose in Life in the archived webinar, “Finding Purpose in Life.”
Depression and Anxiety in MS – Depression is a common and often overlooked symptom of MS, while anxiety is perhaps the most taxing and under-treated psychological effect of living with multiple sclerosis. Discover helpful strategies to manage these significant mental health issues in the archived webinar, “Managing Depression and Anxiety in MS.”
Care Partnering – Learn about the often overlooked physical and emotional needs of care partners and how to avoid care partner burnout in the podcast episode, “Caring for the Care Partner.”
Wellness Strategies – Find helpful strategies to better manage four key areas that impact mental and emotional health – sleep, staying connected, diet and exercise, and self-care – on My MSAA Community.

Learn more about Improving Mental Health and Wellness through these resources at: mymsaa.org/ms-awareness-month

Loved One in Denial?

Posted on March 25, 2019 by MSAA

By Jarely Meza

Some of us have been in the situation where a loved one has experienced a health problem, a sickness, addiction, or recent medical diagnosis and they are too stubborn or proud to admit this, let alone ask for help. As care partners we feel that it is our responsibility to push them to get help – to remind them about setting up an appointment, or to even try and convince them to go see someone about their situation.

Often someone who may be in denial will Continue reading →

Crock Pot Cream Cheese Chicken Chili Recipe

Posted on March 20, 2019 by Melissa Young

For this month’s featured recipe, we are delighted to highlight a delicious concoction from an MS care partner during MS Awareness Month.

Arlene’s husband David was diagnosed with MS in 1997, seven years after receiving a diagnosis of transverse myelitis that appeared with an attack of acute symptoms. Living on their family’s ranch in Montana with their children and grandchildren nearby, cooking has become Arlene’s art form over the years. She’s grown a greater skill set in this art and has continued sharing several recipes and her family’s story with the MS community.

Our featured recipe is one of Arlene’s favorites to share! This crock pot cream cheese chicken chili recipe Continue reading →

Support for the Supporter

Posted on April 23, 2018 by Angel Blair

Care partners are a vital source of support and assistance to those living with chronic illnesses like MS, and it’s important to realize that they need just as much care and support for themselves in order to maintain that role of care partner to others. Self-care often falls by the wayside as burnout and exhaustion from daily caregiving tasks overpowers all else; that is why calling out some of the crucial resources and services available to care partners is so important. In a previous post we talked about some of MSAA’s resources for care partners, so we thought it would help to expand on this to include some other types of community sources of assistance.

Offices of Aging and Disability Services:

These offices provide resources and services for caregivers that include respite care, homecare assistance and other community programs. Individuals can search by location for this office contact:

https://eldercare.acl.gov/Public/Index.aspx

Centers for Independent Living:

These centers offer information and referral services as well as some direct programs to those living with disabilities and are a good source of information to caregivers. To find one’s nearest location they can search by state/city/county here:

http://www.ilru.org/projects/cil-net/cil-center-and-association-directory

ARCH National Respite Network:

Resource providing a respite services locator, funding and caregiver support contacts, webinars and publications for caregiver needs:

https://archrespite.org/

Family Caregiver Alliance:

Organization that does policy and advocacy work for caregiver needs; they also offer caregiver education, online support groups and links to state by state resources:

https://www.caregiver.org/

Caregiver Action Network:

An organization providing education, peer support, and resources to family caregivers across the country:

http://caregiveraction.org/

Veterans Caregiver Support:

Support resources and tools are provided to those caring for veterans. Resources are also provided for specific conditions that include MS:

https://www.caregiver.va.gov/

https://www.caregiver.va.gov/Tips_by_Diagnosis/MS.asp

Five MSAA Resources for Care Partners

Posted on April 11, 2018 by MSAA

MSAA strives to be a leading resource to the MS community by providing free programs and services. But did you know that MSAA’s free programs and services aren’t just for individuals with MS? Here are five MSAA resources that care partners can take advantage of, too:

MSAA offers in-person educational programs about a variety of topics related to living with multiple sclerosis that are hosted throughout the country. These programs are presented with guest speakers who are experts in their fields, allowing attendees the chance to ask direct questions from the people who know best.
This blog! MS Conversations features blog posts from many wonderful guest bloggers who are able to give insight and a voice to how individuals with MS experience their disease. While everyone’s disease course and symptoms may be different, their posts offer unique perspectives that only a person living with MS can provide.
MSAA’s award-winning publications are not just helpful for individuals with MS. These publications feature detailed information about various topics including: a general overview about multiple sclerosis, different therapy options, MS relapses, MS progression, and more.
My MSAA Community, the free online forum where people can feel free to share information and experiences with other friendly and supportive members. Care partners are welcome to share their questions and get answers from other members of the MS community who may have had similar experiences.
Feel free to also call MSAA’s toll-free Helpline at (800) 532-7667, ext. 154 to speak to one of our Client Services Specialists who are there to help answer any questions and offer additional resources if they are needed. Our Client Services Specialists can also be reached via our online chat feature, or via email at MSquestions@mymsaa.org

Care of the Care Partner

Posted on April 9, 2018 by MSAA

For most people with a chronic disease like multiple sclerosis, the biggest piece of your support network is your care partner. Care partners – whether they be a best friend, a spouse, a sibling, a parent, or other family member – are an essential part of any support network. But like the people they care for, care partners need help and resources to care for themselves and prevent care partner burn out.

The Family Caregiver Alliance reports that 1 in 10 care partners has experienced a decline in physical health as a result of caregiving. Due to the stress and daily struggles of life with a chronic disease, many care partners choose to spend their time and energy on their partner’s health and wellbeing, rather than their own. Some small, but very important things that all care partners should do for themselves to prevent health decline are:

Make appointments with doctors and dentists for regular checkups and screenings.
Have routine medical testing done such as checking cholesterol levels, blood pressure, mammograms, or prostate exams.
Make sure to get enough sleep. It is much easier to focus on tasks of the day if you are well rested.
Maintain social interaction with friends and family who are important to you.
Make sure there is still some “me” time. If you have a hobby that you enjoy, be sure to keep up with it, even if only in small increments.

Most importantly, care partners should always feel comfortable asking for help. Sometimes, one care partner is not enough and they need a break. Sometimes, an individual with MS needs specific kinds of help that requires a specialist. Resources are available for individuals with MS and their care partners for these situations, and many more.

To learn more about care partner resources, challenges, and care partner stories feel free to read over our cover story from the Summer/Fall 2014 edition of The Motivator, Care Partners: The People Who Make a Difference in Our Lives.

Planning for a Doctor’s Visit When You Have MS

Posted on October 8, 2014 by Samantha Schech

Being prepared and asking questions may assist in the overall care you receive at your doctor’s appointment. Taking control of your medical care by finding your voice and advocating for your health will help you to feel more involved in your health care decisions.

Well before your appointment, get in the practice of writing down questions you wish to address with your doctor. A journal or binder can be used to keep track of these appointments. Sometimes it is helpful to have one binder for all medical professionals so that you can review notes from all appointments. Dividers or clips can help organize one doctor or specialist from the next. If questions come up for your primary care while you are visiting with the neurologist, you can add them to the section for the primary care.

Before the appointment, prioritize the questions that are more important at that time. Often appointment time is limited, so by prioritizing the questions, you will assure that what is most important to you at that time is what gets addressed.

It can be a challenge to manage the patient-doctor relationship, especially if your doctor is not used to you asking questions. You certainly do not want to come across as aggressive by demanding the doctor answer questions. Before the appointment, make the doctor aware that you would like to discuss some concerns. By being upfront with the doctor, he or she can make sure there is enough time. Some doctors may prefer to follow-up and discuss questions through a phone call or e-mail.

Asking questions is important but so is making sure you hear and understand the answers you get. Taking notes during an appointment can help to clarify things after you have left the office. Having a care partner or family member at the appointment may also help in remembering some of the details of what you heard. If writing is a challenge, perhaps try using a voice recorder (with the doctor’s permission) to help re-play what was said during the appointment.

If you are having trouble understanding or are confused, ask your doctor to explain again. Ending your appointments with a summary can help to ensure that the doctor hears that you have understood the directions or information provided to you.

If there is something you are not sure about, ask for more information. Many doctors’ offices provide brochures, or educational materials that can describe a treatment or symptom. If the office does not provide these things, ask where you may find them. Perhaps you can reach out to one of the MS organizations to learn more about a particular treatment or symptom, or ask for information to be mailed to you.

By taking a more active role in your health care planning and decisions, you may feel more positive about the control you have over the disease.

How do you plan for your trip to the doctor or specialist?

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