Multiple Sclerosis: An Update for Home Healthcare Clinicians.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic neurologic disease and the most common cause of nontraumatic disability in young adults in the United States. It strikes adults in the prime of life and can gradually diminish physical and mental function, affect relationships, employment, financial capacity, and independence. Neurologic symptoms fluctuate in a pattern of remissions and exacerbations for the majority of those with MS. A multidisciplinary treatment approach is essential. There are a wide number of medications that can be used. Treating the disease at an early stage within the first 5 years of clinical symptom onset is optimal. Home healthcare clinicians can use assessment tools to evaluate disease progression, teach the patient and family how to live with the disorder, and monitor the patient for medication side effects.