Don’t get caught out in a power cut – register with the free SSE Priority Service

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It doesn’t matter who your electricity supplier is, if you are disabled you can register to receive the Free SSE Priority Service.

“We all rely on electricity day to day for various things, but for some, a power cut can be particularly distressing and difficult. That’s why we offer extra help and support during a power cut. Registering for our Priority Services helps us to help you when you need it most. All our priority services are free.

Benefits of joining our Priority Services Register

We can’t promise your electricity will never go off, but if it does, we will do what we can to make sure you have the support you need, when you need it.

Our service offers:

  • Dedicated 24 hour priority services phone number.
  • Priority updates during a power cut.
  • Nominate someone for us to contact on your behalf.
  • Provide information in the format you need, for example Braille or audio CD.
  • Security password to keep you safe.

Who is eligible to join our Priority Services Register?

You can join our Priority Services Register if you:

  • Are dependent on electricity for home medical care, for example a kidney dialysis machine or ventilator.
  • Have a chronic illness or short term medical condition; for example you are recovering from a major operation.
  • Are disabled.
  • Have special communication needs; for example because you are blind, partially sighted, deaf or hard of hearing.
  • Have children under 5.
  • Are over 60 years old.

We recognise some of our customers may need support in other ways during power cuts. If you have other needs and feel you will need extra help in the event of a power cut, please contact us to discuss.”

For more information and to register click here.

Need Financial Assistance?

Posted by & filed under MS News.

Source MS Society:

Need Financial Assistance?  Who can help?

The Multiple Sclerosis Research and Relief Fund (MSRRF) is a charity that supports all people affected by MS and who work with the MS Society on joint funding of individual grants. They may ask your permission to contact the MS Society to apply for part-funding on your behalf.  Read on

3D printing brain scans helps doctors with a tricky diagnosis

Posted by & filed under MS News.

Source Tech Crunch:

When there’s a problem in the brain, it pays to be precise — every millimeter counts with something like a tumor or blocked artery. But it can be extremely difficult to understand the exact shape and size of these things, which makes them difficult to diagnose and treat, as well. But 3D printing a replica of the growth or damage may make doctors better able to do so.

That’s the suggestion made by Dr. Darin Okuda (above), who recently published some work showing the effectiveness of this printing method in diagnosing and understanding brain lesions found in multiple sclerosis patients.

Okuda’s team analyzed MRI scans of MS-affected brains and printed exact copies of the lesions, or damaged areas, detected in them. These were given to people who would normally have just used 2D images or a 3D reconstruction on a screen to diagnose or monitor this type of thing. Read on.

 

End to ESA reassessments comes into effect

Posted by & filed under MS News.

Source MS Society:

From the 29th September, some people with MS won’t have to be re-tested for Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) after their next reassessment.

Last October the Government announced it would stop ESA reassessments for people with severe conditions who can’t work.

The Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) has confirmed this change will start from today. They’ve also provided more detail about who it will apply to.  Read on. 

PIP and ESA Assessments

Posted by & filed under MS News.

Source Parliament UK:

As part of our inquiry on PIP and ESA Assessments, the Work and Pensions Committee would like to hear about your experience of claiming PIP or ESA.

Inquiry: PIP and ESA Assessments
Work and Pensions Committee

Get involved

The web forum closes on Friday 10 November 2017.

If you have had an assessment, or are waiting for an assessment, for PIP or ESA, we’d like to hear from you.

You might want to tell us about:

  • Did you feel that the right decision on your entitlement to ESA/PIP was reached as a result of your initial assessment?
  • If not—what do you feel were the reasons for this?
  • If you have experience of Mandatory Reconsideration, did you find this stage effective and useful? How might it be improved?
  • Overall, how “claimant-friendly” did you find the assessment process?
  • What steps would you recommend taking to improve it?

For more click here.

Tips for managing MS bladder problems

Posted by & filed under MS News.

Source MS Trust:

Are you going sober for October? Alcohol can irritate the bladder, so reducing how much you drink may help you manage your MS bladder problems.

Around 75 per cent of people with MS experience bladder problems and these can have a big impact on your everyday life.

However, simple management strategies can really make a difference. Here are some top tips.

Long-term Lemtrada Treatment Benefits Demonstrated in Extension Study

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Source Multiple Sclerosis News Today:

A five-year study demonstrated that Sanofi-Genzyme’s Lemtrada (alemtuzumab) provides long-term benefits for relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis patients, reducing relapse rates and preventing the progression of the disease.

Importantly, most patients required only the standard two-phase treatment course. Few needed additional courses because of relapse or new brain lesions.  Read on.

Date for your diary

Posted by & filed under Centre News.

Christmas Dinner,  Wednesday 13th December at noon, Park Place Brasserie.  The menu is at the centre. 3 courses £18, 2 courses £16 (including tip).

How did you feel when you were diagnosed with MS?

Posted by & filed under MS News.

Source MS Trust:

How did you feel when you were diagnosed with MS? Angry? Scared? Perhaps even relieved? Whatever you felt, or are feeling now, it’s OK. There is no correct way to react to the news of diagnosis – being diagnosed with MS is a lot to take in. In this video, Anna talks candidly about the range of emotions she experienced after her MS diagnosis.  Read on.

Disarm Therapeutics to Begin Developing Therapy that Prevents Axonal Degeneration

Posted by & filed under MS News.

Source Multiple Sclerosis News Today:

Disarm Therapeutics has completed the first round of financing to develop a compound that prevents axonal degeneration in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) and other neurodegenerative conditions.

The treatment approach is based on an earlier discovery at Washington University in St. Louis, showing that the enzyme SARM1 is a key driver of axon degeneration, a process that causes disability and progression in several diseases of the central, ocular, and peripheral nervous systems.

The discovery was published in the journal Neuron in March 2017. Researchers had earlier known that SARM1 was involved in the degeneration process, but thought that another, so-far unidentified enzyme was needed to perform key steps.  Read on.