Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Care at Home

Types of MS

MS can follow different patterns, which affects what kind of support is needed:

Common Symptoms

MS symptoms vary widely depending on which part of the nervous system is affected. Common symptoms that home care can help manage include:

• Fatigue — the most common symptom, affects up to 80% of people with MS. Often severe and not related to activity levels.
• Mobility difficulties — weakness in legs, spasticity, balance problems, difficulty walking
• Pain — nerve pain, muscle stiffness, headaches
• Bladder and bowel problems — urgency, frequency, difficulty emptying
• Cognitive changes — memory and concentration difficulties ("cog fog")
• Visual disturbances — blurred vision, double vision
• Heat sensitivity — symptoms worsen with increased body temperature (Uhthoff's phenomenon)
• Emotional changes — depression, anxiety, mood swings

MS Fatigue

MS fatigue is different from ordinary tiredness. It can be overwhelming, unrelated to activity, and unpredictable. It can come on suddenly and doesn't always improve with rest.

Supporting someone with MS fatigue means:

• Timing care visits to coincide with when the person has most energy (often morning)
• Taking over energy-intensive tasks — cooking, cleaning, shopping — to preserve the person's energy for meaningful activities
• Not pushing them to "push through" fatigue — this can worsen symptoms
• Being flexible — energy levels vary significantly day to day

How Home Care Helps

A home carer from Ekvarta provides adaptable, person-centred support:

• Household tasks — cooking, cleaning, laundry. Taking over these tasks reduces the energy burden significantly.
• Shopping and errands — grocery shopping, prescription collection, posting letters
• Companionship — conversation, shared activities, social engagement. Depression and isolation are significant risks in MS.
• Medication prompts — ensuring disease-modifying therapies and symptom management medications are taken consistently
• Heat management — ensuring cool environments in warm weather; cooling drinks and damp cloths; avoiding triggers
• Safe movement — being present during mobility and transitions to reduce falls risk

Care needs in MS can change significantly day to day. Carers must be flexible and responsive to what the person needs on any given day rather than following a rigid routine.

During a Relapse

During a relapse, symptoms worsen suddenly. Care needs may increase significantly:

• Increased visit frequency may be needed
• Mobility assistance may be required more than usual
• The GP or MS nurse should be contacted early in a relapse — steroids (methylprednisolone) can shorten relapse duration if given promptly
• Ekvarta can usually increase care hours or frequency at short notice

Professional Support

Home care is most effective as part of a wider network of support:

• MS Nurse — specialist community nurse for disease monitoring, relapse management and support. Ask your neurologist for a referral.
• Physiotherapist — for mobility, balance and spasticity management
• Occupational Therapist — for home adaptations and equipment to maintain independence. See our Home Adaptations guide.
• MS Society Helpline — 0808 800 2303 (free, Mon–Fri 9am–7pm)
• MS Trust — information and specialist nurse team: 0800 032 3839