“Caring” institutions were not always so benevolant, and shutting people away from life is not normally the approach nowadays. After recent news stories about what goes on behind closed doors in some nursing homes and residential centres, it’s only normal to feel an apprehension about what the level of care might be.
A neighbour moved to nursing home a few months ago, and it made me realise that kindness and respect determine the quality of life for the people. It’s an amazing place where the nursing care is delivered with so much obvious love and professionalism. It has changed my opinion of nursing care very much for the better.
Nursing care, on a personal level, is difficult topic to think about. Nursing care can make you think of a loss of power, control and independence and why would you want to give up any of them without a fight? There are many people who dread moving into a nursing home when their health declines. We can resist any interventions that challenge our routine and independence, even when they have the potential to transform our lives for the better.
I have no idea what it is like to live life in a nursing care situation and I feel like a bit of a phoney even writing this piece, but it is the reality for some people with MS. There are some interesting international message boards (like MS World Forums and This is MS) where I chat with other MS’ers online. I’ve occasionally “met” other users that live in long-term nursing care settings, but do most of their socialising, and living online, free from physical boundaries and access issues. I realised over time that not everyone uses nursing care on a long-term basis, but sometimes people need to rehabilitate after a long relapse, or if they need a break, or if their carer does.
The MS Care Centre in Bushy Park, Dublin 6, is the only respite and therapy centre for people living with MS in Ireland. I have heard only positive things about it from my fellow MS’er’s who have used it. A chance came up to attend an excellent course run by MS Ireland a few years ago called “Living well with a chronic illness” and it was hosted in the MS Care Centre. If I’m really honest, my denial can help get me through, and I was apprehensive about seeing what severe MS can do to a person. What I encountered in the centre surprised me. There was a light, easy-going and welcoming feeling about the centre; not the institution I’d imagined. I met different people there that were positive, interesting and engaged and some had come for a short rest. If I had to recouperate in the future I certainly wouldn’t mind going to the MS Care Centre. Over 500 people stay there every year.
My fellow-blogger, Willeke Van Eeckhoutte wrote an excellent article about the MS Care Centre for MS News, Autumn 2015 and described her short stay in the centre as being a home from home and “an exceptional place where anyone will get that time out they need without being treated as a patient, but as a person”. You can read about her stay on pages 28 and 29 here: . People staying there can avail of yoga, massage, occupational therapy, day trips, physiotherapy, and a personalised nursing assessments.
Institutionalised care like the Royal Hospital is mostly a thing of the past. Nursing care in 2015 is all about linking in with services that can support you on every level, about being kind to yourself, and allowing that sometimes you do need to let your MS to take priority. It is about extending and enhancing your life, not about shortening or cramping your lifestyle.
If you’re still unsure, try out a short stay in the Care Centre; I have heard that you won’t be disappointed.
MS Care Centre:
- Call (01) 490 6234
- Email carecentrer@ms-society.ie
- Take 360˚ virtual tour of the centre
* With a massive “thank-you” to fellow-blogger Willeke Van Eeckhoutte who helped me string my disjointed ideas together.
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