Motor Neurone Disease Care

We Understand

A diagnosis of motor neurone disease changes everything. If you are reading this, you may be facing a future that feels terrifying, uncertain, and deeply unfair. MND is a condition that moves at its own pace, and the gap between what someone needs today and what they will need in three months can be enormous. Planning feels impossible. The present is hard enough.

We want you to know that you do not have to figure this out alone. At King's Lodge, we have cared for people at every stage of MND, from those who are still mobile and independent to those who require full ventilatory support. We know this condition. More importantly, we know how to ensure that the person living with it continues to be seen, heard, and valued, regardless of what their body can or cannot do.

The decision to move into residential care is one of the hardest a family can make. But when the right home provides the right clinical support alongside genuine warmth, it can also be a decision that gives everyone, the person with MND and the people who love them, room to breathe.

Our Approach

MND care at King's Lodge is built around anticipation. We do not wait for a crisis and then react. We plan ahead, working closely with neurologists, respiratory specialists, and the MND Association to ensure that when needs change, we are already prepared.

Our nursing team is experienced in tracheostomy management and non-invasive ventilation. We have a dedicated ventilation unit with staff trained to manage NIV, cough assist devices, and suction equipment. As speech becomes more difficult, we work with speech and language therapists and assistive technology specialists to maintain communication for as long as possible, because losing the ability to speak is not the same as losing the ability to think, feel, and participate.

Nutrition management is central to our care. As swallowing becomes compromised, our team works with dietitians and speech therapists to adapt diets, manage PEG feeds when appropriate, and ensure that mealtimes remain a source of comfort rather than anxiety.

What to Expect

• A private en-suite room with space for personal equipment and belongings
• 24/7 specialist nursing trained in MND-specific care
• Ventilatory support including NIV and tracheostomy management
• Adaptive equipment: environmental controls, specialist beds, hoists
• Speech and language therapy, including assistive communication technology
• Physiotherapy to maintain comfort, positioning, and respiratory function
• Twice-weekly GP visits and access to specialist consultants
• Advance care planning handled with sensitivity and honesty

Daily Life

MND takes away physical ability. It does not take away personality, interests, relationships, or the need for a life that has meaning. At King's Lodge, we work hard to ensure that residents with MND continue to do the things that matter to them, adapted as necessary, but never abandoned.

Our therapy dogs visit throughout the day, and for residents with limited mobility, the simple warmth of a dog resting beside them can bring a kind of comfort that nothing else provides. We bring the garden to those who cannot easily access it. Music, films, conversation, and the company of others are always available. And when someone needs quiet, we respect that too.

Family Support

MND is often described as a family disease, and with good reason. Watching someone you love lose physical function while remaining cognitively aware is a particular kind of heartbreak. We recognise this, and we make space for it.

Families are welcome at King's Lodge at any time, including overnight if circumstances require it. We involve you in care planning and in difficult conversations about the future, because these decisions should never be made without the people who matter most. We can also connect you with the MND Association and local support groups, because the burden of this condition should not be carried alone.