Palliative care has emerged in response to the comfort needs of the terminally ill cancer patient. From our experience with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis patients and their families in different care settings, we believe that palliative care is also an appropriate approach for this population. The extent to which palliative care, as it is generally practised, fits the needs of the ALS patient and family and the ways that palliative care should be adjusted to meet their needs are discussed in this paper.
DyckPJ, StevensJC, MulderDW. Frequency of nerve fiber degeneration of peripheral motor and sensory neurons in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Neurology1975; 25: 781–5.
6.
FallatRJ & NorrisFH. Respiratory problems. In: MulderDW, ed. The diagnosis and treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Professional Publishers, 1980: 301–20.
7.
GoldblattD, DonahoeKM, LandonK.Home care. In: MulderDW, ed. The diagnosis and treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Professional Publishers, 1980: 141–56.
8.
GouldBS. Psychiatric aspects. In: MulderDW, ed. The diagnosis and treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Professional Publishers, 1980: 157–64.
9.
GotayCC. Models of terminal care: a review of the research literature. Clin Invest Med1983; 6 (3):131–41.
10.
HudsonAJ, BrownWF, GilbertJJ. The muscular pain-fasciculation syndrome. Neurology1978; 28: 1105–9.
11.
MoxleyRTIII & KempfC.Nutritional management. In: MulderDW, ed. The diagnosis and treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Professional Publishers, 1980: 269–90.
12.
MulderDW & HowardFM. Patient resistance and prognosis in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Mayo Clin Proc1976; 51: 537–40.
13.
MulderDW, ed. The diagnosis and treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Professional Publishers, 1980.
14.
National Health and Welfare. Report of the working group on special services in hospitals. Ottawa: National Health and Welfare, 1981.
15.
NorrisFH, DenysEH, SangUK. Differential diagnosis of adult motor neuron diseases. In: MulderDW, ed. The diagnosis and treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Professional Publishers, 1980: 53–88.
16.
RabinD & RabinP.The pariah syndrome: the social disease of chronic illness. The Pharos1983; Summer: 37–40.
17.
RasmussenDJ. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. American Journal of Nursing1980; November: 2050–2.
18.
RoelfsRA & MulderDW. The initial patient interview. In: MulderDW, ed. The Diagnosis and treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Professional Publishers, 1980: 129–40.
19.
SandersonJ.Nutritional considerations in the management of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Info ALS1981; 1 (2): 1–9 (Toronto: als Society of Canada).
20.
SinakiM & MulderDW. Rehabilitation techniques for patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Mayo Clin Proc1978; 53: 173–8.
21.
SmithRA, DawsonA, ForoozanP.Pharmacologic and surgical modalities. In: MulderDW, ed. The diagnosis and treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Professional Publishers, 1980: 252.
