For health care professionals

We believe an interdisciplinary approach is important in the care of people living with ALS and are grateful to the many health care professionals who support them throughout their time with the disease.

Not all healthcare organizations or professionals have regular contact with ALS patients or are familiar with their changing needs. That’s why we offer information, services and resources that can help you guide your patients throughout their time with the disease.

How we can help you

We strive to collaborate with healthcare professionals that care for families living with ALS across the province of Quebec by providing easy access to reliable information and resources that aim to enrich your expertise. This in turn helps to support families by providing them with information so they can be better equipped to maintain their health and have the energy, knowledge and ability required to meet the day to day demands, challenges and impacts of their illness.

Our most popular resources for health care professionals are:

• Our online resource centre aims to equip healthcare professionals with a variety of specialized resources that can be useful when empowering families living with ALS and guiding them through their respective ALS journeys. Use the filters to access resources specifically for health care providers, as well as general resources across a range of topics. Whether your preference is to read, listen to or to watch the information you are looking for, there are a variety and range of resources in the format of your choice. All of the content is accessible on-demand when the time is right for you.
  Visit the online resource centre now

• Checklist for following clients diagnosed with ALS and PLS:  This checklist was developed in 2012 and updated in September 2020. The aim of this tool is to help highlight information for health care professionals to discuss with families living with an ALS or PLS diagnosis over the course of their illness.
  Download the checklist in PDF or Excel format

• Request form for community support: Subject to the availability of funds, we offer short-term financial aid as a last resort for financially and socially vulnerable families who do not have access to the equipment and services needed to care of their illness without negatively affecting their basic needs. Eligible families must demonstrate urgent illness-related needs that cannot be addressed by existing health and social service networks/programs, regional community organizations/resources, insurance coverage or government programs. All requests must be made by a health care professional from the local community services centre (CLSC), Integrated Health and Social Services (University) Network (CISSS or CIUSSS) or from a long-term care centre/facility (CHSLD) or a palliative care unit/residence.
  View program details and request form

• Information sessions: We offer orientation sessions and refreshers tailored specifically to a healthcare context including CLSCs, rehabilitation centres and long-term care facilities (CHSLDs). We can also provide information about programs and resources that will help you to support your patients.
• Programs to support daily living: Take a look at our various programs to help families with different aspects of their lives.
• Exchange Forum: Since 2012, the Exchange Forum has been a place where healthcare professionals regularly come together to discuss issues related to their practice with families living with ALS. Whether it’s difficult conversations, placement in long-term care, discipline-specific discussions, or much more, sharing allows us to learn from each other. 
  
  To be notified of these meetings, please register with SLA Québec here: https://sla-quebec.ca/inscription-a-la-sla-du-quebec/ or contact Kate Busch.
• Community of Practice: Launched in September 2023, the Community of Practice (CoP) aims to continue the conversations started at the forum – and much more! To break the isolation of the community of healthcare professionals working in the context of ALS, we’ve created a space on Teams where we invite them to ask questions, share interesting articles, participate in discussions, and help us strengthen our collective knowledge.   
  
  To join the CoP, please register with ALS Quebec here: https://sla-quebec.ca/inscription-a-la-sla-du-quebec/  or contact Kate Busch.

How to access support

Access the full range of services and resources available to you as a health care professional.