Services Overview

The different courses of the disease process mean that different issues will be raised at different times for different people. Therefore the information on Multiple Sclerosis needs to be tailor-made and focused on this specific population. The MS Society disseminates information on the disease itself, management of symptoms, support services, welfare, entitlements, and a range of related topics to PWMS, health care professionals, policy makers and the general public. 

The main aim of casework within the MS Society is the enhancement of the personal and social functioning of an individual or family through an assessment of need and working with the individual and/or family to enhance problem-solving and coping mechanisms. 

Casework offers a confidential support service to PwMS and their family particularly at the time of diagnosis. Appropriate referrals and liaising with relevant agencies are carried out. An action plan is agreed with the client /family and ongoing emotional and service related support is maintained over the lifetime of the PwMS (phasic or continuous). Appropriate records are maintained (bearing in mind the requirements of the FOI).  The Case Worker advocates with and on behalf of the person and their family, where they are having difficulty or are unable to access services and supports themselves.

Service delivery is targeted at four distinct phases of MS. These are the diagnostic phase, the minimal impairment phase, the moderate impairment disability phase and the significant impairment phase. Not everyone with MS had the same disease pattern or experiences the same symptoms.

• The diagnostic phase is particularly important for a person with MS. If this phase is not managed properly and the person does not receive appropriate information in a supportive, skilled environment it can have negative long-term effects for the individual and for his/her family.
• The minimal impairment phase refers to the post-diagnostic phase when input from certain health care professionals is crucial. The implementation of therapy, social support and appropriate medication lays the foundation on which long-term management and service input can be built. Such service input needs to be integrated with extensive communication and liaison between key providers with an emphasis on availability, adequacy and flexibility. Many people with MS may experience long periods of minimal impairments throughout the course of their disease, but still, need statutory and health service provision.
• The moderate disability phase concentrates on symptomatic management and rehabilitation. In this phase of the disease, progression symptoms may be many, varied and interrelated. Management of these symptoms can, therefore, be challenging and usually requires an integrated and, multidisciplinary approach to provide a focused rehabilitation service which aims to reduce disability and improve quality of life.
• The significant disability phase is the stage where the PwMS often has a wide range of complex and interacting physical, psychosocial and cognitive problems. During this phase, many people are heavily reliant on others so that they can retain as good a quality of life as possible. The level of support and expertise provided is paramount. Frequently the degree of this support is the determining factor in deciding whether the person remains at home or requires long-term residential accommodation.

The casework service is also available to the family/carer of the PwMS. Very few family members plan to take on the role of a carer. Rather, they find themselves in a caring role through life’s circumstances. In the caring role personal relationships with partners, parents and children can be vulnerable especially when their understanding of the condition and its implications is limited. This can lead to communication difficulties and relationship breakdown. 

Professional expertise addresses the serious problems experienced by PwMS and identifies management strategies in collaboration with the PwMS and other relevant health care professionals. 

With the onset of MS people are exposed to a significant challenge to their health and wellbeing. Community-based educational programmes are planned to enable people with MS and their carers/families to promote healthy life choices and positive mental health in a supportive environment. The primary focus of the community based educational programmes is preventative is to give new skills to people so that they can easily predict and anticipate potential issues or problems before they arise and take preventative steps

A selection of courses and seminars on relevant topics e.g. nutrition, fatigue, exercise, rest and stress management are offered to people with MS to learn more about their condition and self-care skills. These vary from being a modular course run over several weeks, a one-day seminar or a residential weekend. 

Courses aimed to support people with MS improve their coping strategies, provide information so that people can better manage their condition and take responsibility for their own health and wellbeing includes:

• “Newly diagnosed” programme
• Symptom management
• Fatigue management
• Stress management
• Exercise, Physiotherapy, Yoga, Hydrotherapy 
• Complementary therapy programmes
• Respite or therapeutic skills
• General information on entitlements/ benefits 
• Carer /partner support programmes
• Young persons ( children of a parent with MS) support programmes
• Neurological Information Days for service providers and health care professionals
• Public awareness programmes

Community Development encourages people with MS to help themselves. It is about people with a common interest coming together, with others, to influence positive change in their communities. It involves people becoming aware of their collective needs, sharing information and develops responses to meet their needs. It may involve communities working in partnership with others in support of collective action. 

Development work principles include working ‘with’ people rather than ‘for’ people. It encourages voluntary participation and social inclusion and challenges barriers that exclude people from participating.

Its primary focus is in capacity building programmes to support communities and volunteers. It targets people most in need: including those on low incomes, marginalised groups, living in rural areas with inadequate access to essential services and transport. Community work seeks to influence local service development by integrating people with MS into mainstream services. Equality and justice underpin its processes. 

There are obvious and relevant links between community work, casework, educational programmes, Information Line, and  Respite.  No one aspect of the work in itself offers a holistic response to the needs of people with MS and their families.

For further details of services in individual regions, click here

The MS Information line provides one to one telephone support on a wide range of issues via a local number. Contact is also made by letter, e-mail or visit to the office. The need for information on MS treatment and research is ongoing. Many people have access to the net but will phone to clarify issues about which they have read or heard. The priority is the person with the new diagnosis, as the contact line is often the first point of support after the diagnosis is made known. Many calls also emanate from family members, friends or co-workers.

Contact is also made by people who have had MS for some time and are dealing with new or ongoing symptoms and difficulties presented by MS and want to speak in confidence to a knowledgeable person who is not directly involved with them.

The MS Care Centre is the only dedicated respite centre for people with Multiple Sclerosis in Ireland and is a place for residents to learn more about their MS and find ways to self-manage their condition.

It offers short-term respite care to people with MS and other neurological conditions, therapeutic services, neurological assessments and many social activities in a homely environment in the suburbs of Dublin. Our ‘home away from home’ is a place of rest and relaxation for people from all over Ireland. The MS Care Centre is HIQA registered and provides the highest standard of quality respite. 

Within the MS Care Centre the aim of respite is to:

• Provide the support needed to help individuals remain at home, sustain caring relationships, continue to work, prevent crises, and live the life of their choice to their fullest potential.
• Help both clients and 
• Help carers to safeguard their health, avoiding physical or emotional exhaustion and enabling them to continue caring and living a life of their choice.
• Provide regular and flexible breaks as an early intervention which help in preventing crises.

All of the staff team at MS Care Centre are committed to:

• Developing and improving the quality of life of residents
• Preserving the autonomy of residents and promoting the free expression of opinion and freedom of choice.
• Maintaining a safe physical and emotional environment
• Ensuring the privacy, respect and the dignity of residents
• Supporting and respecting the rights of all persons employed in the service and providing continuing ongoing professional development
• Providing formal training to staff to equip them with the skills and competencies necessary to meet the needs of residents

MS Care Centre comprises of 12 ensuite accessible bedrooms. There are 2 sitting rooms, a quiet room, dining room, coffee dock, physiotherapy suite, library/art room, boardroom, reception area and offices, 3 public wheelchair accessible toilets. The complement of staff is such that the Care Centre can meet the needs of residents in the low to high care dependency level category. The Care Centre can accommodate a maximum of 6 high care dependency residents at any one time with hoist assisted beds. It is our experience that people with high levels of complex needs find it impossible to source age and need appropriate respite. Within the care centre, we respond, in part, to this need with the level of expertise amongst the staff compliment.

The MS Care Centre provides short term respite care on a planned basis. Each week a maximum of 12 residents can enjoy a number of social and therapeutic activities such as yoga, massage, day trips, physiotherapy, and a personalised neurological nursing assessment. In our current structure, we have a core complement of approximately 450-500 admissions annually that avail of the respite service, and we aim to offer them the opportunity to avail of a respite breaks. These can vary from 5, 7 or 12 nights depending on individual circumstances and requests. 

Referrals or enquiries for admission may come from acute hospitals, discharge coordinators, community-based professionals or directly from a person with MS. English is the language spoken at the MS Care Centre and we can facilitate residents who do not speak English by providing the support of an interpretative service. All admissions to MS Care Centre as far as possible are planned. Pre-assessment will be completed to ensure that all necessary equipment, knowledge and competency are available to meet the resident’s needs.