GOSHEN, N.Y. (Oct. 24, 2012) – For years, Elant, the Hudson Valley’s premier provider of senior health care and housing solutions, has been providing specialized care and support at its Brandywine campus to meet the needs of individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS). As a result, Elant and the National MS Society have partnered to enhance training, advance care and provide education to patients with MS.
MS is a chronic, often disabling disease that attacks the central nervous system – the brain, spinal cord and optic nerves. The progression of the disease, its severity and its specific symptoms are unpredictable and vary from one person to another. It typically attacks people in the prime of their lives, with the average age of onset being 30 to 33 and the average age of diagnosis being 37. Of those living with MS, 80 percent survive 20 or more years after the onset of the disease. Many of them need long-term care, either in outpatient or inpatient programs. There are many outpatient programs available, but very few skilled nursing facilities provide the specialized inpatient care that is required for people living with MS.
Elant, however, through its network of long-term care facilities and partnership with the National MS Society, provides the support needed to meet these younger residents’ medical, social and rehabilitation needs. Elant’s staff and managers have been attending training from the National MS Society at annual conferences and The Boston Home, a not-for-profit specialized care residence for 96 adults with advanced multiple sclerosis. They have also been attending National MS Society in-service training, and have refined their skills at working on cognitive aspects; ambulation; rehabilitation; occupational therapy; physical speech; social work; counseling and recreational therapy – among others – that are specific to MS residents.
Joseph A. DiPalo, Executive Director and Administrator of Elant at Brandywine, said Brandywine’s reputation has grown over the years, gaining more referrals from hospitals and doctors who are treating their patients. The International Multiple Sclerosis Management Practice, a private practice in New York City, now regularly refers patients in need of care.
“The fact that the International MS Management Practice recognizes Elant at Brandywine as a partner speaks to the excellent care that our facility provides to people living with MS,” DiPalo said. Brandywine has also achieved affiliation status with the National Multiple Sclerosis Society New York City-Southern New York Chapter. “We are becoming more widely recognized by those in the MS community for our best practices. We understand the resident as a whole.”
“It’s about helping residents to be more positive, addressing their therapeutic needs, helping them learn to accept their illness and move forward with the rest of their lives,” said Amy Vallarelli, Director of Social Services at Brandywine. “We work with the residents’ minds, bodies, souls, wants and needs.”
For additional information about Elant’s Multiple Sclerosis Care Program, contact 800.501.3936.
ABOUT THE NATIONAL MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS SOCIETY:
The National MS Society is a collective of passionate individuals who want to do something about MS now – to move together toward a world free of multiple sclerosis. The organization helps each person address the challenges of living with MS through its 50-state network of chapters. The Society helps people affected by MS by funding cutting-edge research, driving change through advocacy, facilitating professional education and providing programs and services that help people with MS and their families move their lives forward. For additional information, visit www.nationalmssociety.org
ABOUT ELANT:
Elant is a comprehensive health care system that serves the needs of more than 3,500 individuals throughout the Hudson Valley region. The organization includes seven campuses and employs more than 1,200 dedicated individuals. Elant provides a full continuum of care, including Sub-Acute Care and Rehabilitation Services, Skilled Nursing Care, Assisted Living, Adult Day Care, Retirement Community Living, Home Health Care and a Managed Long Term Care Plan.
