Community Home Support aids people with Parkinson’s Disease through new program

Sept. 2, 2016

Delaying the disease

Submitted photo

Community Home Support Lanark County is offering a Delay the Disease fitness program designed for those with Parkinson’s Disease. The program is held each Tuesday from 2 to 3 p.m. Above, Christine Luscombe-Mills, left, a retired occupational therapist and Delay the Disease instructor, Suzanne Bourbonnais, middle, client services manager with Community Home Support Lanark County, Perth office, and Ashley Pelton, registered occupational therapist and Delay the Disease instructor.

Don’t be surprised to hear some yelling if you drop by the Community Home Support Lanark County office in Perth on a Tuesday afternoon.

The Delay the Disease program is in session from 2 to 3 p.m. that day and incorporating voice projection during exercises is one component of the fitness program designed for those with Parkinson’s Disease (PD).

Pioneered in Ohio, this program differs from others for those suffering from Parkinson’s, according to lead instructor Nancy McFadyen of OT Ontario East in Smiths Falls, in that it targets specific PD symptoms. These symptoms run the gamut from speech problems to impaired posture to a deterioration in hand writing to decreased movement, to list a few.

“It’s not just physical exercise,” McFadyen who has more than 30 years of experience as an occupational therapist (OT) says of the program. “It is cognitive multi-tasking.”

When people are diagnosed with PD, as she explains, between 70 and 75 per cent of the dopamine in their brains is depleted. 

“It is a gradual decline,” McFadyen notes. “In the process, they are developing bad habits like poor posture, low voice and decreased movement.”

During the 12-week program, the focus is on getting them to change these habits. That is done through a variety of physical and cognitive exercises that work towards retraining the body and mind. For example, one exercise involves participants holding weights, in which they bend down as far as they can and then stand up. In another, they walk between two lines taking big steps in the process and they are asked to count the steps. 

“One of the things about Parkinson’s is that movements get smaller and more restrictive,” Christine Luscombe-Mills, a retired OT who assists with the program, says in explaining the importance of the latter exercise. “Part of what we are doing is encouraging people to get in the habit of taking big steps to break the patterns of the small movements.” 

This is the first time the Delay the Disease program has been offered in Canada with McFadyen, along with Ashley Pelton, another occupational therapist on her staff, and Luscombe-Mills having already obtained their certification. Just this month two more people, Allie Palmar and Pam Watts have been certified to lead the program.

All exercises are modified according to a participant’s needs. “In this group, we can scale it up or scale it back,” McFadyen states, adding that the content changes slightly each week.

Cardiovascular exercise is a component of the Delay the Disease program. “The brain is more receptive to change when the body is physically primed and activated by exercise,” says McFadyen. “The exercises in the Delay the Disease program are directed at facilitating change utilizing the neuroplasticity of the brain.”

Pre and post-testing is done in the program to evaluate each participant’s level of functional improvement.

McFadyen is appreciative of Community Home Support for its support of Delay the Disease through providing the venue for the weekly sessions. Likewise, Chartwell Willowdale Retirement Centre in Smiths Falls has offered space for the program on Fridays.

According to the results of a study conducted by the Department of Neurology and Center for Biostatistics at Ohio State University, in conjunction with Columbus Health Works, early participation in a group exercise program with a format like Delay the Disease “had a significant effect on symptoms of depression” for those with Parkinson’s.

The cost for the program, which includes 12 one-hour sessions, is $449 per person. Anyone interesting in registering and/or receiving more information is encouraged to contact OT Ontario East at 613-283-2788 or email ot.nancy.mcfadyen@cogeco.ca.

Community Home Support Lanark County hosts a monthly support group for people living with Parkinson Disease and their care partners/family. The support group provides a safe, friendly environment in which to share experiences and knowledge with others living with Parkinson's Disease. The support group meets the last Monday of the month at 1:30 p.m. at the Community Home Support Lanark County office at 40 Sunset Blvd in Perth. On Sept. 26, there will be a demonstration of a Delay the Disease class at the monthly support group. Audience members will have a chance to participate in the exercises. There is no sign-up required for participating or observing the demonstration. The support group will run as scheduled between 1:30 and 2:30 p.m. Light refreshments are served. 

For more information regarding the monthly support group, please contact Melissa at 613-267-6400. 

Submitted by Community Home Support Lanark County

http://www.insideottawavalley.com/community-story/6838009-community-home-support-aids-people-with-parkinson-s-disease-through-new-program/