What can I do to let the MSA patient know I am thinking about them?

• Cards and notes: Send greeting cards or handwritten notes just to say you are thinking about them – it’s nice to get actual mail!
• Doorstep gifts: Drop off a flowering plant or flower bouquet, a handknit throw, or a care package with lotion, a candle, a fun book, a puzzle – don’t ask, just do it. Don’t ring the doorbell. Don’t ask if you can come in. Just text or call when you leave that there is something at the door.
• Home baked food: Drop off home baked goods, a casserole, or some picnic food, but ask first if the patient is still able to eat normal foods.
• Share photos: Send a packet of photo prints from past family or social events you have enjoyed together or share an album of such photos on Google Photos, Shutterfly or other site. Looking at photos can be a fun and easy activity for the patient and their family. Family members can also mail fun packets of childhood mementos and photos for the family to look through and enjoy.
• Share fun articles: Email articles of interest to the MSA patient – maybe an article about a favorite sports team, a link to an art museum virtual tour, or a newspaper article about a beloved botanical garden.
• Schedule a video call: Ask if you can schedule a Zoom or FaceTime call. It may be easier (and, in fact, necessary during the Covid pandemic) for the patient and family to speak with you via Zoom. Everyone can see each other and catch up, and the call can provide a nice break from the normal routine.

Contributed by Patricia Libby Thvedt, former care partner to an MSA patient and member of the MSA Board of Directors.