Parkinson’s is a much misunderstood condition, with 40 different symptoms including bradykinesia/slowness of movement, sleeping problems, hallucinations and loss of smell. Every person with Parkinson’s has a different experience, but all have a strict medicine regime that is vital for keeping them healthy.
Aware of the need for more knowledge of the complex nature of the condition, the Parkinson’s Excellence Network, a collaboration of health and social care professionals, supported and facilitated by Parkinson’s UK set up a free learning hub for health and social care professionals to help improve the quality of care for those with the condition. The Network has just added to its suite of information with the launch of a new collection of courses.
The courses, which range from bite-sized to longer programmes, are job-specific for the health and care sectors, and include modules for care staff, nurses, doctors, speech and language therapists and pharmacists.
Helen Haggertay, a trainer from Consultus Care Training Centre, uses the courses to teach nurses and carers about the condition.
She said: “It affects people so differently so that’s important to get across. When we get talking, carers say ‘I can see that in my client, but not that’.
“It’s also looking at the changes in the individual. A person may be able to do something one minute but may not the next day. It’s getting the carer to understand this and how it changes.”
Dr Rowan Wathes, Associate Director of the Parkinson’s Excellence Network, said: “These training courses are so important as it is the fastest growing neurological condition in the world.
“We appreciate the hard work of everyone in the healthcare sector as they are so vital for people with Parkinson’s, who often need a lot of support. In turn, we want to support those working with people with Parkinson’s and help them to understand this very complex condition.”
Awareness campaigns from Parkinson’s UK to educate healthcare staff include Get It On Time. This calls on hospitals and care homes to make sure patients with the condition get their time-critical medications on time, every time, or some can be left unable to walk and talk.
Tim Howell, Learning and Development Partner at Home Instead, a home care company, said: “Working in partnership with Parkinson’s UK has enabled Home Instead to educate our care professionals in the best ways to provide high quality home care for our clients living with Parkinson’s.”
Understanding Parkinson’s:
Having a tremor is a common symptom of Parkinson’s, but not everyone has one. Everyone’s symptoms are different.
Because the condition affects everyone differently, everyone’s medication regimes are different too.
In hospital, it’s really important that people with Parkinson’s get their medication on time. If they don’t, it can seriously impact their health. They may not be able to move, get out of bed or swallow. Some people may never recover and may permanently lose their ability to walk, talk or worse.
People with the condition can often ‘freeze’. This can happen at any time and cause them to become ‘stuck’ in difficult places. Using cueing techniques such as counting, singing a song with a rhythm can help to restart walking.
People with Parkinson’s are often mistaken for being drunk by other members of the public, which can cause embarrassment.
Some people with Parkinson’s may feel sick after taking medication, especially if they take it on an empty stomach. Having a snack, such as a plain cracker or biscuit, at the same time as taking medication, can help ease this side effect.
Being active for 2.5 hours a week can help manage Parkinson’s symptoms, and has a positive impact both physically and mentally.
For further information about the courses visit parkinsons.org.uk/learning-hub
