How we can help
Multiple Sclerosis Society
of the ACT - Services and Activities.
Counselling and Support.
The Outreach Team is available for counselling and support for people
with MS and their family and carers. The Outreach Team can also act as
an advocate for you in the community or at your place of work.
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MS Care Plan - A Resource for People with
Multiple Sclerosis
The MS Care Plan is an individually tailored resource designed to
take the guess work out of managing your MS, either during the crisis
of an exacerbation or the day-to-day pressures of living with multiple
sclerosis.
The idea of the plan is to think ahead, to reduce the anxiety felt when
you feel caught out during an exacerbation or emergency. The MS Care Plan
aims to myriad of other contact points, all in the one place.
The intention of pre-planing is to take away some of the uncertainty
in managing your life with MS.
Each person with Multiple Sclerosis is invited to contact
the MS society to make arrangements for developing their personalised
MS Care Plan. The plan is designed to be developed by you, or with the
help of an outreach worker, the choice is yours.
For further details about the MS Care Plan please call the Outreach Team
on
6285 2999.
Advocacy.
In order to represent the needs of people with multiple sclerosis the
Outreach Team are active on a number of committees. They regularly attend
community consultation meetings on behalf of people with MS. This service
ensures that the voice of people with MS is represented in a number of
arenas and at different levels of community involvement.
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Immunotherapy.
The MS Society provides immunotherapy information, training, education
and follow-up five days a week by two registered nurses.
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Physiotherapy.
The Society no longer employs a physiotherapist and is referring all MS
clients to existing community health facilities. You should contact
one of the outreach workers at our
Society for more information.
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Referral to Community Services.
The Society cannot (nor should it) meet all of your needs, nevertheless,
we are able to put you in touch with the most appropriate community service.
Please contact us and we will only be too pleased to help.
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Home/Hospital Visit.
If you require information, counselling, advocacy, or referral from the
Outreach Team and are unable to come in to the Society we will come to
you. The immunothersapy nurses are also available for home visits if you
are unable to come to the Society.
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Accompany People with MS to Appointments.
An Outreach worker or volunteer can accompany you to a variety of appointments
to offer support. The appointments may be with other community agencies,
doctors, the Independent Living Centre. In order to make the best use
of this service you will need to give the team plenty of notice.
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Community Education.
The Outreach Team regularly conducts information sessions on multiple
sclerosis to a number of community organisations. This community education
service endeavours to provide community carers with the necessary information
about MS to enable them to care appropriately for people with MS.
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Newly Diagnosed Information Evenings.
The Outreach Team provide frequent information evenings to people who
are newly diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. These information evenings
are also open to family, friends and carers of a person with MS.
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MS Identity Card.
It has come to the attention of the staff at the MS Society that some
members are experiencing unpleasant incidents when dealing with sharps
disposal and when purchasing injectables and related items.
Some people have reported that they have been challenged about their
right to park in a disabled parking space.
One way to overcome these incidents is to obtain an MS Identity Card
from the MS Society. It is a simple procedure; we can send a form out
to you, just fill in the details and return it with a passport-sized photo
of yourself. Alternatively you can come into Gloria McKerrow House in
Deakin and bring a passport-sized photograph with you and we can produce
your identity card while you wait.
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Volunteer Connections
Would you like to volunteer? Or perhaps you need a volunteer? Some volunteers
help members directly, eg, with shopping, gardening, appointments or exercises.
They also help as required at Gloria McKerrow House with mail outs for
the Readathon, BMW raffle and SWAG, assist with the monthly card lunch,
or 'man' the front desk and phone when the Administrative Officer is away
or busy with other duties. Please let us know if you would like to chat
with the Volunteer Coordinator to find out more about volunteering. (People
using this service should note that all communication with their volunteer
outside the designated volunteer hours must be through the volunteer co-ordinator
or the MS Society.)
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Bridge.
Every Thursday from 10.30am - 1.00pm. People with MS can come together
to have a fun, non-competitive, game of bridge. Everybody is welcome.
Why not come along and see how you like it?
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Exercise Groups.
Yoga classes are being run at the MS Society on Wednesday evenings. See
the current calendar (on-line) or in your Swag for details, fee applies.
There are some more exercises detailed in the "MS
and exercising page".
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Library Service.
There are now approximately 250 books in the collection located in the
large cupboard in the Gibson Room. Books, videos and audio tapes are displayed
in the Penson Room. All members are welcome to borrow. Annual Reports
and news letters that are in pamphlet boxes, are not for loan, but may
be read in the Gibson Room.
In the back of each book is a loan card where you should record your
name and the date, than leave this in the loan records box on the shelf.
You may borrow books for up to two months; there is no fine for overdue
books but please return them when you've read them. We like to get them
back for other readers.
The library is run on a self-serve basis, and books are arranged in classifications
for ease of selection:
· MS information
· Diet and health care
· Relationships and sexuality
· Biography
· Mobility and life style.
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Equipment.
The equipment load scheme at the MS Society is being phased out as we
no longer have an occupational therapist on staf and our equipment is
ageing. The MS Society may retain a few items in the case on an emergency
and clients are encouraged to call first to see what may be available.
The Canberra Hospital Loan Centre ph (02) 6244 2500 and the
ACT Equipment Scheme ph (02) 132281 both provide an equipment loan
service.
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Massage Therapy
Members may avail themselves of a massage therapy session at the MS Society
once a month on a subsidised basis, subject to availability. Bookings
are essential (02) 6285 2999 and fees vary from time to time.
A mobile massage therapy service is also available to members who are
in a nursing home and for eligible members who are house bound. Fees apply
and bookings are essential.
For those working members who cannot come into the MS Society during
working hours, arrangements may be made by the MS Society for a discount
at a service privider of your choice. Please contact the MS Society on
(02) 6285 2999 and someone will try and make that arrangement.
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The Cottage
The MS Cottage, situated adjacent to Gloria McKerrow House, which historically
has been used for respite care by members and clients with MS from time
to time has been leased to Carers ACT for the past three years. It is
now being used as a day care centre for people with dementia and overnight
stays for their clients were introduced in 2007.
Given the make-up of clients currently in The Cottage it is no longer
suitable for people with MS to have respite care. Carers of people with
MS are advised to call the Commonwealth Carers Respite Centre (CCRC) in
Torrens to arrange respite care. CCRC will arrange the appropriate respite
care in accordance with the Program's guidelines, where clients may be
asked for a contribution.
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In providing services to people with Multiple Sclerosis the Society ensures
that it complies with the National Privacy Principles.
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