I have MS and came to Holehird as a permanent resident in September 2003, but I’ve been coming up onrespite for the past six years. As you know MS is a chronic condition and it has got slightly worse. If you have a partner, Social Services tend to let them do the bulk of your caring. I’ve had great carers at home, I really did. But it was putting a strain on my marriage if I’m honest. Chris works full time and he would come home from work, and the first thing he’d have to do would be to see to my needs, then cook a meal, then wash and change me, and it is a lot of work. At weekends we had nobody for a while, and I had a total of seven and a half hours of care a week, so I decided to come up here. Since I’ve been here it’s been great, because I go home most weekends and have the best of both worlds, because Chris and I have time we want to spend together. He can come up Friday afternoon, we’re home in an hour and back Sunday night which is just great.