Case Studies
Simon
Right to Reside in the Family Home
My name is Simon and I’m 50 years old. At the time I first got in touch with NAS I was living at home with my father, whose health was deteriorating. Plans were being put in place for my Dad to enter a nursing home. I was being encouraged by my family to move into a nursing home as they felt that I wouldn’t be capable of living on my own, and that ...
Patrick
Homelessness
My name is Patrick and I used to live in inappropriate private rented accommodation with no housing supports from the local council. The house was not accessible with no access to toileting facilities. I have a physical disability and at the time I was also experiencing mental health issues. My advocate supported me to access housing supports which resulted in an increa...
Selina
Will and Preferences being Heard
My name is Selina and I lived in a residential service for 25 years of my life. Over time, an advocate worked with me to understand how I communicate and to identify what I wanted (my will and preference), which was to live in the community. The advocate wrote on my behalf to the people who made decisions about me; expressing to them what I wanted, ...
Carla
Mental Health and Homelessness
My name is Carla. I’m 42 and have been homeless for several months. I contacted NAS as I have been sleeping in my car because I don’t feel safe using emergency accommodation. Due to my mental health issues, I feel unsafe sharing a room with other people so my Advocate got my permission ...
Breda
Housing
My name is Breda and I sought the support of a NAS advocate to assist me in having my wishes heard and options explored around living arrangements. Following a court ruling, I had been ordered to vacate my home. On contacting NAS, I was confined to one room on the ground level of my home due to the inaccessibility of the rest of the home. I was isolated from the community. I h...
Mental health case studies
The following case studies highlight the importance of independent advocacy for people with mental health issues. Independent Advocacy changes lives. [video width="1920" height="1080" mp4="https://advocacy.ie/app/uploads/2026/04/Maria-landscape.mp4"][/video] [video width="1920" height="1080" mp4="https://advocacy.ie/app/uploads/2026/04/Paul-landscape-1.mp4" ...
Jimmy
Empowerment
My name is Jimmy, and I used to live in a residential service. In that service, both other residents and I were considered to be engaged in ‘challenging behaviour’. The service took the view that it was necessary to transfer me to a different residential service. I wasn’t given the opportunity to view the service or meet the other people living in the service. I wasn’t i...
