California Passes $15 Million in Funding for the Treatment and Care of People Living with ALS

WASHINGTON, July 15, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The ALS Association today announced that California's legislature, in conjunction with the Department of Health has approved $15 million over the next five years for the wraparound model of care and treatment of ALS in the state. The initial funding grant, $9 million over the course of the last three years, expired in June. The new allocation ensures that patients and families living with ALS across the state of California receive the specialized medical care needed to extend and improve quality of life.

ALS is a neurodegenerative disease that results in the death of nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord, causing the muscles in the body to gradually weaken.  This leads to loss of limb function, difficulty breathing, paralysis, and eventually death.  There is no known cause or cure for ALS. Today, the only way to meaningfully extend the length and quality of life for a person with ALS is to take a proactive approach, focusing on the evidence-based wraparound care model provided by The ALS Association's four California chapters.

The Wraparound Model of Care is the combined effort of ALS Association Care Services working in close collaboration with Certified Treatment Centers of Excellence across the state to deliver robust home, community, and multi-disciplinary clinic-based services and support, including:

1. Professional community and home-based care management services
2. Information and referral services
3. Support groups for people with ALS and their caregivers
4. Community education programs
5. Loans of durable medical equipment and augmentative communication devices
6. Community Outreach and Awareness Activities

"We thank Governor Newsom and the California Legislature for approving continued funding for care services for people living with ALS, to be provided by the California Department of Public Health. Funding at the local level, where care is delivered, is critical to support our urgent work to help people with ALS live longer, live better and to prevent new cases of ALS as we continue the quest for a cure.  This funding grant will serve all Californians diagnosed with ALS and as well as their families equitably with a model of care that can change the trajectory of this disease and help us achieve our mission of making ALS a livable disease by 2030," said Calaneet Balas, President and CEO of The ALS Association.

ALS knows no racial, ethnic, geographic, or socioeconomic boundaries, affecting both men and women. The disease afflicts indiscriminately; we must do everything we can to make treatment accessible to every Californian in need. In funding this crucial model of care, measures were implemented to ensure that distribution of funds to an organization working with ALS families are in proportion to the population of Californians it serves. The allocations of $2,111,566 to the Golden West Chapter, $316,336 to the Greater Sacramento Chapter, $298,164 to the San Diego Chapter and $273,934 to the Orange County Chapter ensures the ALS Association can provide care services or families confronting ALS.

About The ALS Association
The ALS Association is the largest philanthropic funder of ALS research in the world. The Association funds global research collaborations, assists people with ALS and their families through its nationwide network of chapters and certified clinical care centers, and advocates for better public policies for people with ALS. The ALS Association builds hope and enhances quality of life while urgently searching for new treatments and a cure. For more information about The ALS Association, visit our website at www.als.org.

SOURCE The ALS Association