The Foundation provides several opportunities for ALS patients and their families to come together, offering support to each other and receiving the professional advice and guidance of the Patient Services Team.
Monthly support groups allow patients and caregivers to give and receive emotional support and to share information and practical experience. Groups are professionally facillitated. Participants are encouraged to express their feelings about ALS openly—whether fear, anger, guilt or other emotions. Support groups provide a welcoming environment and a sense of camaraderie with others who are living with this devastating disease. These groups are offered at no cost.
The following support group meetings are open to patients, family members, caregivers and friends. Each facility is wheelchair accessible and offers free parking. We request that you RSVP if you are planning to attend any of these meetings. If no one responds, meetings will not be held.
Please contact Claire Owen at cowen@lesturnerals.org or (847) 679-3311 to RSVP, for more information on any support groups or meetings, or to be placed on our support group mailing list.
Libertyville
Where: Marytown Retreat and Conference Center, 1600 West Park Avenue, Libertyville
Upcoming Dates: Tuesday, February 7
Time: 6:30pm
Facilitator(s): Laurie B. Fieldman, L.C.S.W.
Directions: Call (847) 367-7800
Skokie
Where: Temple Beth Israel, 3601 Dempster Street, Skokie
Upcoming Dates: Wednesday, February 8
Time: 7:00pm - 8:30pm
Facilitator(s): Ileane Mindel, R.N. and Anne Lidsky, Ph.D.
Directions: Call (847) 675-0951
Evergreen Park
Where: Little Company of Mary Hospital, Mary Potter Pavillion - lower level rooms A&B, 2800 West 95th Street, Evergreen Park
Upcoming Dates: Saturday, February 18
Time: 10:30am - 12:30pm
Facilitator(s): Laurie B. Fieldman, L.C.S.W. and Shari Diamond, R.N., B.S.N.
Directions: Call (708) 422-6200
Wheaton
Our new Wheaton support group is now meeting each month! Please join us at our new location. Contact Claire Owen at (847) 679-3311 or cowen@lesturnerals.org with questions or to RSVP. We hope to see you there!
Where: Marianjoy Rehab Center, Outpatient Pavilion. 26 W 171 Roosevelt Road, Wheaton.
Upcoming Dates: Saturday, February 25
Time: 10:00am - 11:30am
Facilitator(s): Ileane Mindel, R.N. and Elsa Cherwak, P.T.
Directions: Park on the garden level, and enter the facility through the sliding glass doors to the reception area. Take Elevator #6 on the right to conference room #1 (note new room number), which is on the first level. As with all our support group meeting locations, the facility is wheelchair accessible and parking is free. Call (630) 909-8439 if you have questions or need additional information.
Our ALS Education Forum is held every spring, bringing together ALS patients, families, volunteers and supporters. At the meeting, a featured guest speaker presents on a topic of interest to patients and families. The Patient of the Year, Volunteer of the Year, and Junior Volunteer of Year awards are also presented at this meeting. The afternoon concludes with a reception and light refreshments.
The 2012 Patient Education Forum will be held on Sunday, April 29, at the Marriott Chicago O'Hare, 8535 West Higgins Road, Chicago. The featured speaker will be Dr. Jack Kessler, Chairman of the Ken and Ruth Davee Department of Neurology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. The Patient, Volunteer and Junior Volunteer of the Year will also be recognized at this event. More details will be forthcoming.
For more information, contact Claire Owen at cowen@lesturnerals.org or (847) 679-3311.
The Practical Solutions Seminar is a free two-hour meeting covering information about symptom management, care giving, research and clinical trials, and programs and resources available through the Les Turner ALS Foundation. The seminar is presented by staff from the Les Turner Home Care and Community Services Team and the Les Turner/Lois Insolia ALS Center. These meetings are currently held on a semi-annual basis.
For more information on upcoming Practical Solutions Seminars, contact Claire Owen at cowen@lesturnerals.org or (847) 679-3311.
Bereavement counseling is available and offered as needed. Please contact Claire Owen at cowen@lesturnerals.org or (847) 679-3311 for more information.
Shari Diamond, R.N., B.S.N., ALS nurse consultant since 2005, received her bachelor of science in nursing from Northwestern University. Shari was previously the clinical nurse coordinator at the Les Turner/Lois Insolia ALS Center from 1986 to 1991. Prior to that, she was a head nurse on the ENT/Head and Neck Oncology Unit at Northwestern Memorial Hospital.
Laurie B. Fieldman, M.S.W., L.C.S.W., Director of Social Services, received a master's degree from the University of Chicago in 1993 and one from National Louis University in 1992. She has been with the Foundation since 1999.
Anne Lidsky, Ph.D., has served as a support group leader since 1983. She received her B.A. from the University of Illinois, her M.A. from Northeastern Illinois State University and her Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from Northwestern University.
Ileane Mindel, R.N., ALS nurse consultant since 1995, graduated from Mount Sinai Hospital School of Nursing of the City University of New York and previously worked at Hospice of the North Shore where she served as Coordinator of Patient Care and Payer Development.
