In February 2009, the ALS Society of New Brunswick (ALSNB) undertook a strategic planning session. One of the key goals arising from this was our desire to provide a 'navigation system’ that helps ALS patients and their families to access the care and supports they need, and to resolve issues which may prevent them from timely access to this care.
This directly supported our client survey results, in which 40% of respondents said they had difficulty navigating NB’s health care system.
To that end, ALSNB successfully applied to ALS Canada for a Seed Grant. The funding allowed us to hire a part-time researcher to develop a comprehensive ‘map’ that touches on the important steps and issues that a client may face - from their initial diagnosis to end of life planning.
Our goal is for ALSNB to be the access point for people with ALS to enter and navigate the health care system. Our goal is to develop a useful resource for the client service volunteer, the client and the family.
This is a living document, meaning that information in it will change over time, and its content is expected to grow as more and/or different client needs are identified.
