Information for Amputees
Amputation is a significant loss. Adjustment takes time. Families, friends and professionals can be supportive, but no one can understand your situation like another amputee. That's why the American Board for Certification has teamed up with the Amputee Coalition of America to provide you with access to some of the ACA's most valuable patient resources.
Education
Supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), ACA administers the National Limb Loss Information Center (NLLIC), the nation's leading source of amputee-related information.
The National Limb Loss Information Center provides comprehensive resources for people with limb loss, as well as their families, friends, and the health care professionals involved in their lives, including:
- Toll-free national hotline - (888) AMP-KNOW (888-267-5669)
- Health care provider education (HCP), an outreach program of the ACA, provides continuing education to meet the needs of professionals who provide care for people with limb loss.
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Youth Activities Program (YAP)
- bio-fit, a targeted, one-day fitness and educational event for children with limb differences ages 7-18 and their families.
- Annual three-day residential youth camp for children ages 10-17 with limb differences
- YAZ, ACA's Youth Activities E-Zine.
- Publications including inMotion magazine, First Step, Connections, Expectations, Because We Care and Senior Step.
- Search ACA's comprehensive online library catalog for books, articles, fact sheets, PubMed © abstracts, and Web sites. ACA's most popular articles and fact sheets are also available in Spanish or Easy Read format.
- Hosting over 800 people annually, the three-day Annual Educational Conference and Exposition offers attendees opportunities to network with other amputees and attend educational sessions and exhibits from manufactures and service providers from the prosthetics industry.
Support
The ACA's National Peer Network (NPN) offers several programs offering emotional support for amputees including:
- ACA's online support group, a professionally facilitated forum which allows amputees to share thoughts, feelings, wisdom, fears and triumphs.
- Peer Visitation by amputees who have completed ACA's peer training seminar and serve as role models, providing emotional and practical support.
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Support Group Network fostered and maintained by the ACA
- Don't have a local support group? Consider starting a support group using this fact sheet for helpful hints and tips.
- Contact an ACA Regional Representative for local/regional information.
Patient Care
Every patient has unique and individual needs. If you are not satisfied with the prosthetic patient care you are receiving, talk to your physician and seek the consultation of a certified prosthetic practitioner in your area.