Perspectives on Japan: Home Care Increases the Need for Multi-disciplinary Clinics by Gabriela Harrington, Clinical Nurse Trends for managing loved ones with ALS is similar around the world as I learned from many of the presentations I heard in Japan and from some nurses I spoke with from different countries. For example, in Australia and England the government expects the family to care for the patient in their home until death. As we know, here in the United States family caregivers are not well prepared for the realities of managing the emotional and physical demands of a loved one with ALS. This trend toward homecare seems to hold worldwide, increasing the need for multidisciplinary clinics that can address the needs of both ALS patients and their families. Data from Japan set forth at the conference suggests that multidisciplinary teamwork beginning at the time of diagnosis may be most effective in helping patients and their family members understand the disease and secure help with symptom management.