MS charity’s move could define the future of respite care services

The trustees of the MS Society are soon to debate whether the charity will keep open its four residential respite care homes, or whether it will close them and redirect the funds into a more personalised respite care service. Its decision could have repercussions for other disability charities that currently use traditional methods of respite care. Increasingly, the trend is to move away from residential homes and day care centres and to provide respite care in individuals’ homes or in the form of a holiday. And with the new government’s pledge to increase the personalisation of health and social care, it looks likely that patients and their carers will be given a greater choice over how and where they spend their respite breaks in future. Although a recent MS Society review shows that many people are still in favour of using traditional methods of respite care, the majority of respondents said they would like more choice and control over their own and their carers’ respite care.