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In the case of organisations that order multiple licences for future use, the countdown will start when learners are allocated to the training course
What Causes Parkinsons Disease
As mentioned above, people who have Parkinsons disease have a lack of dopamine-producing nerve cells due to cell death. This occurs in the sustantia nigra, a part of the midbrain that plays a role in movement and reward. As a result, their brains dont receive enough dopamine. No one really knows for sure why these nerve cells die and lots of research is ongoing.
With the nerve cells no longer working and producing dopamine, the brain struggles to send messages properly and, as a result, Parkinsons symptoms appear.
As more and more nerve cells die off, dopamine levels continue to decline. This means that symptoms worsen and new ones appear.
There isnt much evidence to suggest that Parkinsons can be passed on to children but researchers believe some people could have an increased genetic risk.
There have also been studies showing that toxins in the environment could be at play when these dopamine producers die, which leads to Parkinsons developing.
Toxins could be anything from heavy metals, toxic chemicals, and pathogens like bacteria and viruses.
There has been particularly strong speculation about Parkinsons linking to pesticide and herbicide use.
Faculty Disclosure And Resolution Of Coi
As a provider of continuing medical education, it is the policy of ScientiaCME to ensure balance, independence, objectivity, and scientific rigor in all of its educational activities. In accordance with this policy, faculty and educational planners must disclose any significant relationships with commercial interests whose products or devices may be mentioned in faculty presentations, and any relationships with the commercial supporter of the activity. The intent of this disclosure is to provide the intended audience with information on which they can make their own judgments. Additionally, in the event a conflict of interest does exist, it is the policy of ScientiaCME to ensure that the COI is resolved in order to ensure the integrity of the CME activity. For this CME activity, any COI has been resolved thru content review ScientiaCME.
Faculty Disclosures:
Dr. Natalie Diaz, MD, Associate Professor in Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, has received research support from Pfizer, Civitas, Chelsea, Adamas, SK Life.
Commercial Support Disclosure: This program is supported by an educational grant from Acorda
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What Do People Say About This Course
“Thank you to Dr Alison Cooper for your very prompt and active support of us participants in this course. Thanks also to the many participants who contributed, and especially to the PD sufferers who openly and freely posted about their personal experiences. You gave this course a depth and authenticity that other courses rarely achieve.”
“A very interesting course, well presented, very informative and with prompts for us to do some looking up of information ourselves. I found week 3 became a bit more technical and as a complete beginner I felt a bit out of my depth. However, I still managed to complete the quiz, almost all questions right first time so I must have learnt something! It was a really useful introduction to Parkinson’s and the complexity of the human body. Thank you.”
Who Should Take This Parkinson’s Disease Online Training Course
This online training course has been designed specifically for Care and Support Workers working in a social care setting. It may also be useful to a wider audience of people who would like to know more about Parkinson’s Disease.
We offer our courses for your LMS as SCORM files. Depending on the scope of what you need there may be a charge for this. Please connect to discuss it with us.
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To enrol on this e-learning course, please add the course to your basket. From there, you will be redirected to our secure checkout page to complete your booking.
If you are booking the course for someone else, please click the Buy For Others button at the upper right hand of this page.
Our courses are divided into six units. You can either read or listen to the course materials. At the end of each unit is a knowledge check section. This section helps the learners remember what they have learnt.
Pd Exercise Classes Live Online
For those with Parkinson’s disease exercise is as important as medications, but it isn’t always possible to exercise outdoors or go to an exercise class. Sometimes people feel a greater commitment to exercising in a class setting when others are expecting your attendance. These live virtual exercise classes allow you to exercise in your home with the added benefit of some social interaction . Remember, it’s motivating for care partners to exercise at the same time.
Most classes listed here are specific to PD. All are appropriate for those with PD. Classes are open to anyone, not just to those in the area where the hosting organization is located. Class offerings and times are subject to change.
Cost: Free
Cost: Free
Classes: body moves, chair yoga, dance, laughter yoga, movement studio, music therapy, Rock Steady Boxing, Sing Loud, yoga for PD
Class Times :
- Wednesday: 10:30am , 12:30pm
- Thursday: 7am , 2:30pm
- Friday: 11:15am ,
- Saturday: 9:30am , 10:30am
Cost: Free
Class: Chair yoga for Kaiser Members with Parkinson’s and/or Kaiser care partners
Class Times :
Cost: $10/class
Classes: Neuro-Fit high intensity and PWR!Moves
Class Times :
Duration: 60 minutes
Classes led by Rupali Vyas, DPT. Virtual pre-screening is required before registering for classes and at six month intervals. or phone Dr. Vyas to arrange pre-screening.
Cost: $25 annual membership + class tuition
Class Times :
Duration: 60 minutes, excepting boxing/interval + vocal training, which is 2 hours
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Parkinsons Training For Fitness Health And Wellness Professionals
Online training program specifically designed to teach fitness professionals how to best meet the unique needs of PD patients
The importance of exercise and physical activity for people diagnosed with Parkinsons disease has been well documented. Exercise produces many benefits including increased physical functioning , improved gait and balance, cardiovascular fitness, and overall better quality of life. As such, great strides are being made to make exercise a part of the standard treatment of PD.
This on-line training program has been developed to assist fitness and health and wellness professionals so they may safely and effectively work with people with PD to develop exercise regimens that will support treatment of their symptoms and substantially improve their quality of life. It will also teach professionals about the signs and symptoms of PD and the important ways in which exercise can improve those symptoms, as well as how to describe common PD symptoms and clearly explain the benefits of exercise to those with PD.
APDA has partnered with the Oice of Continuing Professional Education at Rutgers University in New Jersey to create this user-friendly program .
The APDA Parkinsons Disease Training for Fitness Professionals is a 1-2 hour course with instructional videos. All of those who complete the training course will receive a certificate of completion.
Parkinsons Queensland Nurse Educator Service
This service is currently not available. We apologise for any inconvenience.
The Parkinsons Nurse Educator role is to:
- Provide expert advice and support to PwP and carers
- Promote awareness and effective management of symptoms
- Provide a point of contact for PwP and care givers
- Reduce inappropriate hospital admissions
- Play a leading role in the education of health professionals.
Expected learning outcomes include
- Increase awareness and knowledge of the signs, symptoms and treatments of Parkinsons
- Increase the understanding of the needs of someone living with Parkinsons
- Increase the capacity of staff in providing care for someone living with Parkinsons.
Parkinsons education sessions are conducted in the clients own work environment or an arranged venue and are delivered by Parkinsons Queenslands Health Team members in easy to understand formats which can be tailored to individual needs. The content is based from the National Aged Care Training Project .
Also Check: Is Parkinson’s Considered A Disability
What Is Parkinsons Disease
In the United Kingdom, there are around 145,000 people with Parkinsons disease. This figure is likely to increase by around one-fifth as the population of the country grows and ages. Every year, some 18,000 people are diagnosed with Parkinsons, which is the equivalent of over two people per hour.
In terms of age, only 1.2% of people with Parkinsons disease are under 50 years old. Gender-wise, it seems that there are 1.4 times more men with the condition than women. To summarise the statistics, around one in 500 people have the condition among the general population.
In this article, well tell you everything you need to know about Parkinsons what it is, what causes it and the signs and symptoms to look out for.
What Are The Risk Factors For Parkinsons Disease
The biggest of all risk factors for Parkinsons disease is age. The average age for the onset of the condition is 60. Secondly, men are much more likely to develop the disease compared to women. Finally, if a person has a sibling or parent with the condition, they are twice as likely to develop the condition themselves.
As mentioned above, there are also believed to be environmental factors at play. Many experts believe that exposures to certain things in the environment play a part in the disease.
Lots of research still needs to be done but its believed that herbicides and pesticides can trigger the disease . This also links to Agent Orange, a herbicide that was used in the Vietnam war to eliminate crops and forest cover. Its believed to have caused Parkinsons in people who were exposed in the 1960s. Finally, working with detergents, solvents and heavy metals is believed to put people at a greater risk.
Another potential risk factor is head trauma, especially repeated blows to the head like the boxer Muhammed Ali.
Its important to recognise, though, that these are all factors that increase a persons risk. It doesnt mean that every male farmer over 60 that indulges in boxing as a hobby is going to develop the condition.
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Final Thoughts On Parkinsons Disease
Though getting a diagnosis of Parkinsons disease can come as a blow, its worth bearing in mind that this condition does have effective treatments and isnt a life-limiting condition. Research and clinical trials are very much ongoing and there is hope that researchers will soon know more about the disease and how to treat it more effectively.
Memorial Care Parkinson’s Exercise Class
Cost: Free
Duration: 30 minutes
See calendar. Participants may attend one session per day. For information, contact Theresa Stern by or phone .
Cost: Free
Classes rotate through a different type of exercise each week, including strength training, gentle exercise, PD exercise, circuit training, boxing, Intro to Dance, All About You Fitness, PWR! Sit n’ Stand, PWR! exercise, foam rolling, and Be Fit & Age Well
Class Time :
Cost: Free
Classes: Lively exercise set to music
Class Times :
Note: Most exercises are performed seated. Suitable for all abilities. Log in 15 minutes before class starts. Check out a sample class here. For more information, call 683-1326, or .
Cost: Donations accepted
- Monday: 8:30am , 1:30pm
- Tuesday: 10am , 2pm
- Wednesday: 1:30pm
- Thursday: 8:30am , 10am , 12pm
Cost: Free
Cost: $60/month
Class: Parkinson’s Exercise Program
Class Times :
Cost: Free – Thursday $10.99 – Monday and Tuesday
Classes: PWR!Moves, low impact cardio, strength, and flexibility
Class Times :
Led by Theresa Najjar, DPT, NCS. Free Thursday class requires a signed Adaptive PE Registration form, downloaded from the Thursday class web page and returned via .
Duration: 55 minutes
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How Is Parkinsons Disease Treated
Parkinsons disease cant be cured but there are treatments to relieve symptoms. Patients might also be given supportive therapies like physiotherapy and some might have surgery too.
Physiotherapy
Physiotherapy is useful in Parkinsons as it can help patients relieve their joint pain and muscle stiffness with manipulation exercises.
Occupational therapy
Occupational therapists can help patients identify where they have difficulties in their lives like getting to a shop or getting dressed. They work with patients to provide solutions so that independence can be maintained.
Speech and language therapy
Since many people have dysphagia and speech difficulties, a speech and language therapist can work with them to improve the difficulties.
Medication
Certain symptoms like movement problems and tremors can be relieved with medication. There are three main medicines prescribed.
These are:
- Monoamine oxidase-B inhibitors.
Levodopa
The majority of people with Parkinsons disease will usually end up taking levodopa. This medicine is absorbed by the brains nerve cells and is then turned into dopamine. Dopamine is whats lacking in a Parkinsons brain and so this is used to improve that.
Levodopa is prescribed as either a liquid or a tablet and might be combined with carbidopa or benserazide, which are medications to prevent the levodopa from being broken down before it reaches the brain.
Dopamine agonists
Monoamine oxidase-B inhibitors
Living With Parkinsons Disease
Being diagnosed with Parkinsons is life changing. Patients need long-term treatment to help them control their symptoms. Eventually, they might need to adapt how they live to accommodate their condition.
Its worth remembering that everyone experiences the condition differently, though there are lots of shared challenges too.
Its also worth remembering that people with Parkinsons disease have a similar life expectancy as those without. However, during the later stages of the disease, complications can lead to things like pneumonia, choking and fatal falls. The disease will progress differently in each case but those who develop the disease at a young age, will likely see more severe progression.
The importance of keeping well
When diagnosed with Parkinsons, its important to lead a healthy lifestyle and stay well.
Doing regular exercise will be very important as it will help to relieve any muscle stiffness whilst also improving stress levels and mood. There are lots of ways you can keep fit, including walking, yoga, swimming and gardening if more strenuous activities are too much.
Eating a balanced diet is also important and will provide your body with everything it needs.
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What Are The Signs And Symptoms Of Parkinsons Disease
Parkinsons disease symptoms usually start off mild and develop gradually. There are many different symptoms but not everyone will experience all of them and they might develop in a different order from one patient to the next.
The main symptoms
Parkinsons disease main symptoms are to do with physical movement.
These include:
- Muscle stiffness patients experience tension and stiffness in the muscles. This can make it more difficult to make facial expressions and move around with ease. It can also cause dystonia .
- Bradykinesia this means slowness in movement. A persons movements will be slower, which makes carrying out day-to-day tasks more difficult. Typically, people walk with a slow shuffle and small steps.
- Tremor the shaking of Parkinsons typically starts in an arm or hand and typically occurs when the person is resting and relaxed.
Other symptoms
There are also other physical symptoms with Parkinsons as well as mental symptoms too.
Physical symptoms
- Problems with balance. When someone struggles with their balance, theyre more likely to injure themselves due to falls.
- Anosmia . This can even be the first symptom to develop and can occur many years before any other symptoms appear.
- Nerve pain. Someone might experience an unpleasant sensation like numbness, coldness or burning.
- Urinary problems. This might be urinary incontinence or needing to get up to pee at night.
- Cognitive impairment . This involves having problems with memory or planning and organising.
Activity Description / Statement Of Need:
In this online, self-learning activity:
Parkinsons disease , a central nervous system disease of the autonomic and basal ganglia, neocortex, and spinal cord, is thought to affect about one million people in the United States. Its etiology is thought to include a confluence of factors including age, genetic predisposition, comorbid disease states , and environmental factor dynamics. Present in 1% of people over age 65 and 2.5% of those older than 80, its symptoms are the direct result of dopaminergic neuronal degradation along the nigrostriatal tract and include bradykinesia, resting tremor, muscle rigidity, and gait disturbance.
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How Does It Work
As a health or social care professional you may provide care for people with Parkinson’s in hospital, full-time residential care, in the community or in short-term respite care.
You’ll probably meet people with Parkinson’s who are at the complex phase, so this is the focus of the course.
The course is located on the Open University’s OpenLearn Create website. You will work through it online at a pace that suits you.
You will have an opportunity to reflect on your practice and to connect with your peers. You can use it as a framework to support group work with your colleagues.
Once you have completed the course, you will earn a digital badge.
This programme has been endorsed by the Royal College of Nursing Centre for Professional Accreditation until January 2023.
Endorsement applies only to the educational content of the programme and does not apply to any product.