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​​​