Expert comment: Putting Case Managers at the heart of the care sector 

Case Managers play a crucial role in supporting individuals with complex care needs and their loved ones. Siobhan McSweeney, CEO of MCS Case Management Ltd in Ireland, explains how her clients reap the benefits. 

For those living with a brain or spinal injury and their loved ones, having a Case Manager can be transformative. 

In cases where an individual has complex needs and a myriad of services are involved, alongside legal teams dealing with financial settlements, they play an invaluable role in supporting their clients to live as independently as possible, facilitating a better quality of life, whilst ensuring the most effective use of their resources. 

The importance they play cannot be underestimated, particularly in families of those who have experienced brain or spinal injury. 

What is the role of the Case Manager?

Case management is an active process devoted to the coordination, rehabilitation, care and support of people with complex, clinical needs and their families.

The Case Manager is at the heart of their client’s care, there to help them navigate their healthcare and use their available resources in the most cost-effective and beneficial way. 

They organise and manage a wide range of therapy support, from physio, speech and language and occupational therapy to assistive technology, sensory rooms and music therapy.

However, the ways in which they provide support do not end there. They also liaise with Solicitors, the Registrars of the Office of the Wards of Court and healthcare providers, help the family navigate housing needs and home adaptations, organise Multi-Disciplinary Team reviews, provide telephone support and far beyond. 

“The case management process fundamentally assists a specific patient/client in coordinating and navigating through their healthcare journey,” says one paper.

“The key to this assistance is the construction and implementation of a relevant and feasible plan of care that, when followed, will help the patient move towards their stated goals and positive health outcomes with an optimal level of functional capability, wellness, and self-management. Case management will ultimately improve the quality of life for the client.”

Ireland’s only Case Management company 

Yet despite this, the profession is still relatively uncommon in Ireland, where MCS Case Management established the first (and only) case management company in 2015.

The team has expanded over the last seven years and currently four Case Managers are responsible for clients across the whole of the Republic of Ireland. A separate part of the company also prepares nursing care and expert witness reports.  

A Nurse by profession, CEO Siobhan McSweeney established MCS Case Management Ltd after noticing a void in the ongoing care of people with catastrophic injuries.

“Families didn’t have any support or advice when they got a settlement, in terms of helping them to spend the money in the appropriate way,” she says.

“People think it’s all over when they get the funds, but it’s actually the start of a new journey for the family. The fund is great but it doesn’t solve everything.”

MCS works with a lot of children and young people who have conditions such as cerebral palsy and need a lot of physical and psychological care and support, which can be a strain on the whole family. 

“The families often have other children as well who inevitably don’t get as much attention because the child with additional needs is at the forefront, so for us it’s about helping the family holistically and giving the parents a chance to be a parent rather than just a carer all the time, says Siobhan.

“We have a lovely team of private therapists that we work with. Every year we have a meeting with the Solicitor and the parents so we look at the fund, we see how it's being spent and adjust accordingly.”

They often go above and beyond meeting their clients basic care needs.

In one case they helped 17-year-old Alex achieve his ultimate goal of meeting the President of Ireland. In another, they introduced a driving simulator so a client could fulfil his dream of completing a road trip through Europe.

Experts in their field, Siobhan and her team are now focused on trying to raise awareness of the importance of case management in Ireland. 

“We promote the benefits of case management all the time, we are very passionate,” she says.

“We want to educate people on what we do because there's still a lack of awareness and a lot of people who don’t have access to Case Managers in Ireland.”

Just some of the cases they have been involved with include helping families to purchase new homes, sensory gardens or playrooms and bringing in behavioural therapists.

“Reaping the benefits”

Siobhan recalled the case of one child in particular, who was non-verbal and exhibited challenging behaviours at home. 

The team were involved in the purchase of a sensory room to help regulate his emotions at home and organised for him to have regular swimming sessions with an Occupational Therapist. 

“It was really a lovely collaboration between all of the agencies,” she says. 

“The parents were very happy and a year into their settlement, the money is being spent in the appropriate way and the child’s behaviour has improved. He's reaping the benefits. I suppose that’s what happens when you have a good team around you.”