History of the MS Care Centre
The Beginning
Bushy Park Road is well named. It abounds in bushes, shrubs, trees and songbirds. The red tiled house at No 65 breathes warmth, comfort and security. It bears the unmistakeable influence of William Morris from the leaded windows on the door to the lovely sheen on the polished woodwork.
It’s very difficult to believe that you are within 3 miles of Dublin’s city centre with fumes and the roar of constant traffic.
Indoors large windows let in untrammelled light. The colour schemes vary from the timbered warmth of the dining room and hallway, burnt orange and yellows in bedrooms to grey and blues in the corridor and sitting room. There is also evidence of thought and caring. Floor coverings and door widths help mobility as well as environmental controls. Tracking hoist system enables safe transfer of the resident from bedroom to bathroom.
The big tribute to the Care Centre is that there is so little regimentation; there is no hint of it being an institution. Instead the Centre evokes calm and space good for mind, body and spirit. As one enters at the front door there is a brass plaque to commemorate the opening of the Centre by An Taoiseach Bertie Ahern on the 28th June 2002. Inside in the hallway another brass plaque, in memory of Garda Tom Connors and all the other people whose vision made the Care Centre possible, and to whom we should be ever grateful. Let us now turn back the clock when the Care Centre was born.
In 1986 the Dept. of Health agreed to assist with promoting a small Residential Centre on an urbanised location, preferably in the greater Dublin area. The search for a suitable site began in earnest following the formation of an M.S. Care Foundation. On the basis of a substantial submission to the Dept. of Health, capital to assist with renovation and adaptation of a building was promised. A feasibility grant was made available by the Dept. of Social Welfare to undertake the detailed research and preparation. As a result of negotiations with the Dept of Health No 65 Bushy Park Road was purchased. A new company entitled “The M.S. Care Foundation” was formed with the full support of the MS Society to oversee the work of the Centre. The significance of this achievement was that the Dept. of Health recognised the serious problems faced by carers and those whom they cared for in the community and were prepared to match that concern by sub venting £250,000 in capital to purchase and renovate the building and to provide one third of the annual revenue costs.
The Foundation, which was the body set up to govern the work of the Centre, had representation from the M.S. Society on its Board of Directors. Most importantly it had reserved seats for representatives of people with disabilities in order to ensure that there was a healthy mix of “consumer” and “business” talents. In its early years the Foundation was greatly helped by the “Friends of the Care Centre” who comprised of Justice Hederman, Assistant Garda Commissioner McLoughlin and Liam Birkett.
Development of the Care Centre
The physical development of the building, critical to its full usage, was planned in 3 stages. In the first place it was necessary to make the front entrance accessible and to introduce some basic facilities necessary for people with disabilities. This was done and today there is a most attractive entrance, which s entirely in keeping with the original character of the house.
Phase two involved renovation of the main building. This included the installation of a lift, reconstruction of the all-important kitchen and alterations of the rooms as necessary to make them suitable for activities and therapies.
The third and final phase was the construction of the residential unit, which included eight accessible bedrooms. The Board of the Care Centre decided to start using the building immediately that basic accessibility was achieved.
National M.S. Care Centre gets Underway
On Wednesday 29th June 1988 the National M.S. Care Centre project was officially launched by the Minister for Health Dr. Rory O’ Hanlon. The launch, which attracted widespread media attention, was covered in the Irish Times, Irish Press, Irish Independent, The Star, The Cork Examiner and the Limerick Leader. R.T.E Radios 1 and 2 covered the event with Radio 1 news featuring an interview with Tom Connors of the Foundation’s Development Committee. One of the daily newspapers covering the launch referred to the Centre as “breaking the health care mould”
Work on the alterations of the building and construction of the residential section commenced on June 1st 1988 and the aim was to have the Centre completed by November 25th of that year. Financing the cost of the construction and renovation as well as the ongoing running costs of the Centre presented a considerable challenge.
By 1992 the Centre was four years up and running and was widely regarded as a great success. The Care Centre provided respite care for people with multiple sclerosis from all over Ireland in an 8 bed short-stay centre. It was clear that demand for places in the Centre outstripped its 8 person capacity and pressure was mounting to expand the size of the centre.
MS Care Centre Design Award
In May 1992 the All Ireland Building Design Awards were presented in the Culloden Hotel, Belfast. The awards promoted by the NRB and Disability Action in association with the Northern Ireland Council on Disability, the Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland, the Royal Society of Ulster Architects and the Departments of the Environment of both North and South. The MS Care Centre was highly commended on the Special Awards Section and certificates were presented to the Chairman of the MS Care Foundation Board Prof. Peter Gatenby and Mr. Tom Breen of Breen, Kelly Architects.
Running Costs
With the Centre opened four years running costs were high. “Friends of the Care Centre” fundraised through Carnation Day and in 1991 Justice A.J. Hederman Chairman of the “Friends of the Care Centre presented a cheque for £100,000 to the Care Centre. It was recognised that although the Care Centre had two representatives of the MS Society on it’s Board it was important to open up negotiations to discuss co-operation in areas such as welfare services, fundraising and administration. By 1995 a new fundraising strategy was introduced called the Care Bond. The Care Bond cost £150 and was required for each weeks stay at the Care Centre in addition to existing costs. The Bond was equivalent to the real cost of a person using the Centre for one day.
Moving towards Change
By the mid to late nineties the Care Centre was in financial difficulty. The Centre was in need of essential repairs, which had been deferred due to lack of money. In 1997 the MS Society donated a grant of £100,000 to the Centre. This was the basis for further negotiations between both groups and on the 15th August 1998 the Council of the MS Society signed a Heads of Agreement document with the Board of the Care Foundation. The MS Society continued to subvent the Care Centre and supported applications to the Eastern Health Board for funding.
On January 1st 1999 a new company Multiple Sclerosis Society of Ireland Ltd. was formed which merged the two entities into one.
By the year 2000 plans for the extension and refurbishment of the Care Centre were underway. A design team was selected to oversee the project. It consisted of Brian Hogan & Co, Architects Sean Dwane of J.J. Balance Project Manager, Michael McGowan Henley & Kavangh Charterd Surveyors, Michael Dineen Chief Executive and Michele Kerrigan Ass. Chief Executive. The company of Walsh, Maguire O’Shea were set the task of marrying a building site and a Respite Centre. This would represent an investment of over £2m pounds from the MS Society. Delays in development occurred due to legal problems, objections, and appeals against planning. In the meantime the Chief Executive secured Capital Funding of £600,000 from the Eastern Regional Health Authority. By summer 2002 the Care Centre was coming back to normal. The new bedrooms, improved care base and extended therapy facilities were all in place as well as a cyber café a state of the art therapy suite.
On Friday 28th June 2002 fourteen years practically to the day when the Care Centre was first launched we had An Taoiseach Bertie Ahern officially opened the Care Centre. The occasion was one of great satisfaction and a job well done. Unfortunately not all were present on this joyous occasion but they were remembered. An Taoiseach made a presentation to Mary Connors wife of the late Tom Connors, who played an influential role in establishing the Ms Care Centre. In his last official function as National Chairman Mr. William Lonergan made a presentation to Mary Kirk Allen who played an important role on the Board of the Centre.
