Als Northwest

Independence programsto support and empower people living with als to live independently and as fully as possible, the organization provides services that help people with equipment and tools to assist in their daily lives. The medical equipment loan program provides equipment such as manual wheelchairs, power wheelchairs, bathroom equipment and patient lifts to families for short and long-term loan. Partnering with medical equipment companies across the chapter, the organization fulfilled 487 medical equipment loan requests during the year ended january 31, 2025. The organization also has a unique program to assist families living with als in accessing augmentative and alternative communication (aac) equipment as well as adaptive technology for computer access and environmental controls for people with als. This program provided support, training, assistive and communication equipment loans, technical assistance, and home-based support to 186 families during the year ended january 31, 2025. The organizations financial assistance program is designed to provide help with the high costs of care for families living with als. Over $143,000 in grants were made to 410 families for well-being and family support, communication support, transportation assistance, home modifications, and medical expenses.

Education and support programsstrategically based in and near patients home communities, care services coordinators work directly with people with als and their families to help them navigate management of als as well as access community resources. During the year ended january 31, 2025, care service coordinators made 323 home visits. In these visits, coordinators are often the crucial support people need with guidance on finance, employment issues, insurance questions, social security disability, medicare, medicaid, and long-term care questions. Coordinators facilitated 188 als support groups in person and online. Care services staff also provided professional education for community partners such as hospice, home health and home care agencies to increase their knowledge of als.

Als clinics and certified center supportto support the highest quality healthcare for people with als, the organization partners with and supports community healthcare providers in offering als specialty multidisciplinary clinics. These one-stop shops are evidence-based models that promote coordinated care for people with als at the providence als center, the va portland health system als center, the ohsu als center, kaiser sunnyside medical center in clackamas, and st. Charles medical center in bend. The organization has assisted with staffing, supplies, and professional education for clinic providers. During the year ended january 31, 2025, the organization supported over 700 clinic appointments for families with als. In addition, the organization provided funding for special projects that funded counseling services and developed services for families with frontotemporal dementia and a caregiver 101 education event at the providence als center. Additional funds were shared to the als center at ohsu to support nursing staffing.

Caregiver support programsthe caregiver support program provides needed emotional support and practical guidance information support for family and other caregivers of people living with als. With support groups and one-on-one caregiver consultations the organization supported 590 families during the year ended january 31, 2025. The family support program offers information and live support events for families living with als who have children or grandchildren. Our family fun week provided education and recreation to multiple families across oregon and southwest washington. We partnered with the providence als center to sponsor caregiver 101 trainings where family caregivers learned practical skills for caring for their loved one with als. The bereavement program provided support for 152 families who had lost a loved one with als in the last year with mail, telephone, and educational outreach communications to assist family members moving through the grieving process.