By: Nancy Nealon, Parkinson’s Foundation
More than one million Americans live with Parkinson’s disease (PD). Sixty thousand (60,000) people are diagnosed annually. The Parkinson’s Foundation exists to makes life better for people with this disease by improving care and advancing research toward a cure. In everything we do, we build on the energy, experience and passion of our global Parkinson’s community.
It became clear early in the pandemic that we at the Parkinson’s Foundation needed to find new ways to stay connected to our community and for our community to stay connected to important resources and support networks. Perhaps the largest outcome from that directive is a program we developed: PD Health@Home. Since April 2020, we have made a variety of programming available, three days per week, via Zoom and/or by phone.
PD Health@ Home includes Mindfulness Mondays, Wellness Wednesdays & Fitness Fridays. Even today, two years later, we continue with new content, new speakers, new exercises, three days a week. And the fourth week of each month is devoted to addressing the needs of our Spanish speaking Parkinson’s community via Mindfulness, Wellness and Fitness. All programs are free of charge and open to anyone who is interested. All programs are also recorded and posted on our YouTube channel. In other words, you haven’t missed out. It’s all there. And there’s much to come.
But that’s not all – there’s so much more to access in addition to PD Health@Home.
- Expert Briefings – offer first-hand access to the latest Parkinson’s disease (PD) research and updates from experts in the field.
- Caregivers/Care Partners – we have multiple resources including an online course, printed/digital materials and webinars.
- Living Alone While Living with Parkinson’s: PD Solo is another new program we’ve recently launched. Many individuals live alone by choice or circumstance. This new endeavor will explore the ways in which people who live alone while living with PD can build their support network, address important topics like advanced care planning and practical, day to day activities that can be difficult on one’s own.
I hope anyone reading this quickly realizes that the Parkinson’s Foundation is ready, willing and able to support the needs of those affected by this disease. The above information is truly just the start. You can learn more about all that we do, what you can access by utilizing our Helpline and website. Please reach out, we’re here for you.
Parkinson’s Foundation Helpline: 1.800.4PD.INFO (473.4636)/helpline@parkinson.org
Access our website here: Parkinson’s Foundation | Better Lives. Together.