YOU CAN LIVE WELL WITH PD

The Parkinson's Association of Southwest Florida is Here to Help

For over 25 years our mission has been to provide proven and effective programs and services that improve the quality of life, and educate, enrich, and empower people touched by Parkinson’s Disease and related neurodegenerative diseases here in Southwest Florida. We hope you will take a moment to scroll through this email to learn about some of the resources and services we provide at no cost to members.

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​TAKE THE FIRST STEP TO LIVING WELL WITH PD

BECOME A MEMBER OF THE PASWFL - THERE IS NO COST TO JOIN OR PARTICIPATE

There is no cost to become a member and membership includes all of the PD support services we provide free of charge. Programs include balance and movement classes, support groups, educational programs, speech and swallowing classes, and social activities. Although our programs are always free for members, completing a free membership and waiver application is required.
 
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FIND SUPPORT AND ENCOURAGEMENT
WEEKLY SUPPORT GROUPS FOR PERSONS WITH PD AND CARE PARTNERS

Support groups provide a place to share experiences and gain mutual support​ from peers. We offer a variety of support groups for those with Parkinson's Disease and their care partners. Our support groups include both in-person and Zoom groups. 

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DAILY MOVEMENT CLASSES FOR ALL LEVELS AND ABILITIES

Growing evidence shows that vigorous exercise may have a neuroprotective effect on people with PD. Our group movement classes offer a flexible and functional exercise approach that targets multiple symptoms and allows for adaptation for disease severity. These classes specifically target four skills shown by research to interfere with mobility in people with PD

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WEEKLY SPEECH EXERCISE CLASSES

Speech, swallowing, and chewing are often affected by Parkinson's Disease. Learn strategies and practice exercises that increase voice volume, speed of speech, breathing, and clearer pronunciation of words. Our licensed speech therapist implements techniques from LSVT and results-oriented therapy.

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SOCIAL EVENTS & ACTIVITIES

We provide opportunities for our members to connect and share. We hope you will join us on the third Thursday of each month for our "Lunch Bunch," when members meet at different restaurants in the area for lunch, fun, and friendship.

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PD TALKS

We believe that education is an important part of living well with PD, so each month we bring you experts on PD through both in-person and Zoom talks. We hope you will join us for one of our monthly PD Talks online and our annual Education Symposium held in the spring.
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LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR EDUCATION PROGRAMS

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Visit our Library of Studies on Research and Treatment

We keep members up-to-date on the most recent research on support and treatments related to Parkinson's Disease. To ensure we are providing accurate and timely information, we only list articles and studies that are published in peer-reviewed periodicals and provide information to help you live well with PD.
VISIT OUR LIBRARY

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LISTINGS OF NEUROLOGISTS AND MOVEMENT DISORDER SPECIALISTS

Visit our website for a list of neurologists in our area as well as Movement Disorder Specialists in Florida.

VIEW OUR LISTINGS

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SPECIAL EVENTS

Special events held throughout the year include a fun Bingo event playing for designer handbags, a PD resource expo, our annual Step Up for PD walk at Baker Park, Our signature fundraising lunch with a celebrity speaker, an education symposium, and more.
 
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COMMUNITY RESOURCES

In addition to the many proven and effective programs and services we offer to improve the quality of life, educate, enrich, and empower our Southwest Florida community members affected by Parkinson’s Disease and related neurodegenerative diseases, we provide a comprehensive list of additional resources in our community you may find helpful.

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Become a Member Today

​If you are not already a member of the Parkinson's Association of SWFL, please complete the following combined Membership and Waiver application.

CLICK TO COMPLETE A FREE MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION

Stay Informed and Connected

Sign up for our newsletter and stay informed of upcoming events, classes, and information to help you Live Well with PD.

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Resources to Help you Live Well with PD

Information for Persons Newly Diagnosed with PD
PASWFL Programs and Events to Help You Live Well with PD
Southwest Florida Resources
Videos of Educational Talks on PD
Participate in a PD Study
Sample Calendar of Activities
Articles and Research on PD
Information about PD
Parkinson’s Disease in Florida
Struthers
Reading on PD
Responding to COVID-19

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MORE ON LIVING WELL WITH PD

Living Well with PD
The Parkinson’s Association of Southwest Florida (PASWFL) recently held its Annual Living Well with PD Education Symposium that brought together some of Florida’s leading Parkinson’s Disease (PD) specialists who presented on the current state of research, diagnosis, and management of PD, the second leading neurodegenerative disease in the country. While there is currently no cure for PD, pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic interventions can dramatically improve the lives of those with PD, and many potentially slow the progression of the disease. Education remains a key component for persons with PD. 

Dr. Ihtsham ul Haq MD, FAAN, Division Chief of the Movement Disorders Department of Neurology at the University of Miami Health Systems gave an overview of what PD is.

“PD is a clinical diagnosis,” said Dr Haq. “It primarily involves the loss of dopamine. 60-80% of the dopamine-producing neurons are lost before the motor signs of PD emerge.” Dr. Haq explained that non-motor signs of PD emerge before motor signs appear. Five cardinal features of PD include:

5 CARDINAL FEATURES OF PD
    MOTOR FEATURES

1. Rest tremor - Frequently asymmetric, with onset usually in one hand, and improvement is seen with movement.
2. Bradykinesia - Slowed movement with decreased facial expression, manual dexterity, stride length, and arm swing.
3. Rigidity - Rigidity is often described by persons with PD as weakness or soreness and includes muscles being resistant to movement.
4. Postural instability - Abnormal gait includes stooping, forward lean, festination, and retropulsion.
   NON-MOTOR FEATURES
5. Non-motor features - Non-motor features of PD can include pain, fatigue, low blood pressure, restless legs, bladder and bowel problems, skin and sweating, sleep, eating, swallowing, and saliva control.

7 NON-PHARMACOLOGIC INTERVENTIONS FOR PD
“There are a number of Non-pharmacologic options for the management of PD,” said Dr. Bhavana Patel, DO, MS, assistant professor in the Division of Movement Disorders and Behavioral Neurology at the University of Florida. Dr. Patel presented seven Non-pharmacologic options for living well with PD including:

1. Nutrition - While there is no single diet specified for PD, healthy food intake focused on the Mediterranean diet and the MIND (Mediterranean-Dash Diet Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay) diet is recommended. 
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2. Exercise and Physical Therapy - Exercise can improve stiffness and slowness, mobility, quality of life, cognition, mood, and sleep, and possibly slowing the rate of disease progression. Exercise and physical therapy can also improve gait, balance, flexibility, range of motion, posture, and strength. Exercise stands out as one of the most promising methods of managing PD. In the recent Park in Shape Trial, participants with PD that engaged in aerobic exercise activities over six months showed increased functional connectivity changes in their brains. Additionally, the participants showed disease stabilization in the corticostriatal sensorimotor network. (van der Kolk) Persons with PD who exercised at least 2.5 hours a week reported a better quality of life and increased mobility. Group exercise either online or in-person provides both the benefits of exercise and social support.
   
   
3. Speech Therapy - Some of the effects of PD on speech include a softer voice, reduced clarity, monotone, stuttering, periods of fast speech, and include swallowing issues for up to 80% of individuals with PD. Speech practice and speech therapy can improve many of the symptoms as can intensive voice treatment through LSVT Loud.
   
   
4. Occupational Therapy - PD can impact many everyday activities including self-care, writing, driving, and balance. Occupational therapy can assist persons with PD with managing these skills.
   
   
5. Meditation - The benefits of meditation are plentiful for individuals with Parkinson’s Disease and their care partners. Meditation can boost feelings of control and resilience, reduce anxiety and depression, improve sleep, and prevent mental decline.
   
   
6. Cognitive Exercises - Cognitive training (CT) involves using training programs that provide structured practice on specific cognitive tasks, including memory, attention, or executive function.
   
   
7. Social Support​ - Persons with PD report increased severity of symptoms that include Bradykinesia (slowness of movement and speed), pain, memory, depression, anxiety, and fatigue. Professional and peer-led support groups provide an opportunity to express concerns and learn from others with similar questions and issues.

PD SUPPORT IS AVAILABLE IN SOUTHWEST FLORIDA

The Parkinson’s Association of Southwest Florida has been providing proven and effective programs and services that improve the quality of life, and educate, enrich, and empower our community members affected by PD and related neurological diseases. Each week the PAWSFL offers more than 20 programs, movement classes, speech exercise and practice, social events, educational talks, wellness classes, and support groups for members with PD and their Care Partners. There are no fees associated with becoming a member; the membership application and additional information on living well with PD are available on their website at www.parkinsonassociationswfl.org.

van der Kolk, N. M., Overeem, S., de Vries, N. M., Kessels, R. P., Donders, R., Brouwer, M., Berg, D., Post, B., & Bloem, B. R. (2015). Design of the Park-in-Shape study: a phase II double-blind randomized controlled trial evaluating the effects of exercise on motor and non-motor symptoms in Parkinson's disease. BMC Neurology, 15, 56. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12883-015-0312-6

From diagnosis through the progression of the disease, we provide free programming for people with PD, their care partners and loved ones to ensure healthier outcomes in our community such as  movement, educational classes, speech therapy, and so much more. 

​Our services and programming are free to members and their families affected by PD and other neurological disorders, because we believe that everyone should have access to our programming and that finances should never be a barrier to our members.

​Click one of the below links to get started living well with PD.

COMPLETE A FREE MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION

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