Who is it for?

Many nervous system diseases don't have a cure, but that doesn't stop people with these diseases from living full lives. Some common motor neuron diseases are:

• ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease (amy​​otrophic lateral sclerosis)
• Parkinson's disease
• severe nerve damage from diabetes
• stroke
• multiple scler​osis (MS)
• multisystem atrophy

What problems do nervous system diseases cause?

These disorders affect different parts of the nervous system. This can cause problems with:

• movement (nerves and muscles not working normally)
• how things feel on the body (sensations)
• bladder and bowel function
• thinking and understanding (cognition)
• swallowing
• pain
• breathing, shortness of breath

How can palliative and end of life care help?

Palliative and end of life care teams can give extra support to people and their families during the difficult times in an illness. Palliative and end of life care can help to:

• answer questions
• manage symptoms
• give emotional support
• find other supports if people need to transition (e.g., go from home to hospital) for care​​​