CC02
Day Programing for People with Multiple Sclerosis: Interdiciplinary Allied Health Perspective of Care
The University of Minnesota Health Fairview Achievement Center offers an integrated interdisciplinary approach to multiple sclerosis (MS) in an outpatient setting. The center operates like an adult day center but is focused to meet the needs of clients with neurodegenerative diseases to continue living at home and maintain a high quality of life. A team of Social worker, Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, nursing, and Chaplaincy run the programming at the center. The day is structured to include physical activity, cognitive exercise, spiritual wellness, and therapeutic creative arts. The center offers a model that facilitates vital socialization to clients that would otherwise be isolated in their homes with little interaction and offers respite for caregivers.
Occupational Therapy and Physical Therapy are housed in the same building allowing for regular follow up with the clients during and following active treatment periods. Clients will have several episodes of care for therapy a year and then graduate on to regular maintenance programs performed by rehabilitation aides on a weekly basis to ensure therapy recommendations are being followed up. Wheelchair clinics are also housed in the building to allow for regular adjustments and modifications to manual or power mobility. Of the 120 clients who attend the Achievement Center in a week 90% of them will use some type of mobility device that will need regular therapy evaluation and maintenance.
The social worker is an essential piece of the team to protect client’s rights and perform regular checks that home situation is stable. Grief and loss processing are just part of the essential areas that the chaplain will facilitate. Together these allied health professions are creating an innovative model environment for a person with MS who find themselves isolated in the home. The benefits of Quality of life for patients are just starting to be evaluated in conjunction with the National MS Society and Adult Day Association collecting data. There is a qualitative effect that is easy to be seen by the clients, families and employees of the achievement center that will hopefully be confirmed with qualitative measures in the future. The panel will discuss the vital role each profession takes in chronic care management for persons with MS on a community based setting and how third party payers work in this system.