The ALS Association

People with ALS typically experience a rapid digression from a normal, healthy life to one of total paralysis, where in essence, because their brain is still intact, they become prisoners in their own bodies. ALS maybe diagnosed specifically to an individual, but make no mistake, it is a disease that impacts the entire family. Our programs and services are geared to help people with ALS and their caregivers remain physically and emotionally healthy and to empower people with ALS to engage with the world in the way they want.

Our mission is to discover treatments and a cure for ALS, and to serve, advocate for, and empower people with ALS to live their lives to the fullest. ALS is 100% fatal and caring for a person with ALS can cost over $250,000 per year in the later stages of the disease. We have made a difference in the lives of people with ALS and their families for nearly 40 years, coordinating services with care and compassion ensuring that individuals with ALS and their caregivers receive high quality services that benefit them.

Our three mission priorities:

Care Services
Because of the devastating nature of ALS, people and families dealing with this disease often suffer a myriad of physical, emotional and financial challengers, and need someone to provide resources as well as offer guidance through the healthcare maze. The ALS Association helps people through a comprehensive network of free in-home services that allow people with ALS to live a higher quality of life while we search for treatments and a cure.

Research
The ALS Association funds ALS research, forming global collaborations and encouraging data sharing. We invest in technologies and partnerships, exploring all aspects of the disease. Funding from our organization has contributed to a better understanding of ALS, improved care for people living with the disease, and new treatment approaches in clinical trials. The ALS Association's collaborative and global approach to funding research continues to lead to significant discoveries by top ALS scientists around the world.

Advocacy
The ALS Association advocates for changes in laws and policies that affect thousands of people living with ALS and their families. ALS advocates from across the country have been instrumental in passing legislation to advance ALS-specific research and to ensure that people living with ALS have access to the healthcare they need and deserve. Advocacy for research, health and long-term care, and caregiver support are among the top priorities of our organization.

What vital services does The ALS Association offer?
• Disease management - connecting people with ALS and their caregivers with a Care Services Coordinator to respond to the physical and emotional needs of a family living with ALS.
• Caregiver support - education and services to provide support to caregivers caring for a loved one with ALS.
• Medical equipment loan program - to supply items that are essential for connection and independence, such as argumentative speech devices, power wheelchairs, and various other items to aid in the activities of daily living.
• Grants - to help cover the debilitating costs of ALS that are not covered by insurance and ease the financial burden of an ALS diagnosis.
• ALS-specific health care clinics - offering multidisciplinary care from a team of health care professionals and ALS experts who provide a comprehensive treatment plan to help ease the impact of ALS on the body.
• Research - Including gene discovery, diagnostic testing, clinical trials, and the search for a cause and a cure. Information and data that can lead to pharmaceutical developments that will stop ALS in in its tracks.
• State and federal advocacy - efforts to increase funding for ALS research, ensure access to needed care, and to accelerate the drug development process.