ALS Caregiving: Small Ways to Bring Joy Every Day

Small moments can become the brightest parts of a day with ALS. Charles Edens and Joe Redmond share simple ways patients and caregivers can find joy, comfort, and connection together. In this Sunny Side Up roundtable, Charles Edens (living with ALS) and Joe Redmond, author of Be Mindful on Your ALS Journey, talk honestly about the "little big things" that make caregiving and life with ALS feel more meaningful: a neck rub, a favorite song, birds outside the window, a game that turns a hard transfer into a laugh. In this conversation, you'll hear: • Why caregiving and life with ALS go better as a two-way street • How to turn daily care tasks into moments of connection, like a "spa day" instead of a chore • Simple ideas for building a shared joy list with your care partner • Ways to bring the outdoors in when you can't get out: open a window, hang a bird feeder, plant a butterfly garden, save a leaf in a book • Why caregivers need rest and self-care too, and how patients can encourage it • How small, silly traditions become memories that last The episode also spotlights "ALS Caregiving Ideas to Make Days Fun," a short video from the ALS.Community library, which plays near the end. Whether you're living with ALS, caring for someone who is, or supporting someone you love, we hope you take away at least one small way to brighten tomorrow. Part of our Sunny Side Up series, a welcoming peer-to-peer conversation. This is not medical, legal, financial, or mental health advice. Please talk with your care team for professional guidance. ALS.Community is a free, one-stop platform for everyone impacted by ALS. We bring together patients, caregivers, family, clinicians, and researchers to share, learn, and connect. Join our community today: www.als.community Follow Us: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/als.community/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/als.community #ALS #ALSCaregiver #SunnySideUp