ABSTRACT
The care of patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is especially challenging and differs from the care of patients with other neurodegenerative disorders because
the disease progresses rapidly and is terminal,
PART III: ALS THERAPY: CARE AND MANAGEMENT
its course is predictably short in most cases, majority of patients maintain normal mental function, and to date, no effective curative treatment. In caring for ALS patients, we take a holistic approach. As Thompson (1)
states, ‘‘ALS requires a commitment on the part of the patient, family, and health-care providers to collaborate in a way that can bring meaning and hope to circumstances that make no sense, and a sense of wholeness in the face of relentless physical disintegration.’’ Therefore, to provide effective care for patients with ALS, special skills and experience are essential (2-5).
