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PROJECT-SUPPORT SWITZERLAND

2022-36-CHE-SDG 3 / Association ALS Schweiz

SDG 3: Good Health and well being

Association ALS Schweiz, Basel, Switzerland

Country

Switzerland - the Association ALS is active throughout Switzerland and is internationally connected

 

General

The time after an ALS-diagnosis is an extremely heavy emotional burden for those affected and their relatives. During this difficult phase, the association ALS Switzerland offers support; it connects people affected by ALS with each other and provides valuable information about care, support, relief, and procurement of aid-tools, as well as disability-friendly reconstruction of houses or flats.

The association advises those affected in legal, official, and administrative matters while representing their interests on the national level. It works closely with other specialised agencies and organisations in the health and social sectors, and also networks with international organisations that pursue similar goals.

 

What is ALS = Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

The disease attacks motor nerve cells from the brain/spinal cord, as well as the peripheral nerves (so-called motoneurons), which are responsible for the conscious control of our skeletal muscles. For example, when we reach for a cup or turn the house key. Due to the degradation of the motor neurons, the signals from the brain no longer reach the muscles. As a result, the mobility and strength of the muscles decrease and are lost in the course of the disease.

Worldwide, about 400,000 people are affected by ALS; in Switzerland about 500 to 600 people. Despite international research, the causes of the disease are still unclear. It takes an average of one and a half years from the first symptoms to diagnosis. ALS occurs most frequently between the ages of 50 and 70. Men are affected slightly more often than women.

 

Project-support

Borrowing aid-tools

With ALS, even the simplest actions can become impossible; fetching a glass of water from the kitchen when you are thirsty - no longer feasible without outside help. Technical aids make it possible to remain independent in certain areas for longer. For example, there are aids for mobility, breathing and communication. However, the purchase and individual adaptation of aid-tools require time, financial resources, and often the knowledge of specialists. The Association ALS Switzerland has a core range of aid-tools that are usually immediately available from their depot or for which there is a short waiting period.

The core range includes the following items: folding / transport wheelchair, hand wheelchair, seat cushion, stand-up chair, stand-up lifter, trapeze bar, nursing wheelchair, nursing bed, anti-decubitus mattress, alternating pressure mattress, bath lifts, bath crane and ceiling lift, patient lifter, carrying sheets, shower folding seat, toilet chair, shower/toilet wheelchair, E-fix to wheelchairs.

Many of the aid-tools were donated and are therefore not new. They are maintained by the depot partners and adapted if necessary.

Website Association
ALS Schweiz

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