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Support for those with Parkinson’s

 

Finding Support & Information
While the diagnosis of Parkinson’s Disease (PD) may be frightening, it is important to remember support and interventions are available right here in Naples, Florida both for those diagnosed with this disease and those family members who now find themselves in the role of Care Partner. Many people are familiar with Parkinson’s disease, which affects one million Americans, with 60,000 new diagnoses each year. But there are several other neurodegenerative disorders that have Parkinson’s like symptoms called A-typical Parkinson’s or Parkinsonism that are important to be aware of.

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Improv as Therapy

Gulfshore Life Magazine
Melanie Pefinis
February 2019 (Pages 63-64)

The Naples Players put on a great show, as we theatergoers know. But maybe not all of us know that the 65-year-old institution seeks to educate our community as well as entertain it. There are the KidzAct youth program, internship opportunities, diverse creative workshop offerings for adults–and inclusive classes for people with additional needs, including improv for individuals with autism and those with social anxiety.

Margot Escott was familiar with the mission, so when she approached the players about bringing her own improv classes to the company, she knew the techniques she used with Parkinson’s patients would fit right in.

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SELF-CARE FOR CARE PARTNERS

To paraphrase a question a friend recently asked me “How does one meet their own needs and find balance while caring for a loved one with a chronic illness?”

My own experience with caregiving helps me answer that question. In 1996 my father was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. This coincided with the birth of the Parkinson’s Association of Southwest Florida. My father and I both volunteered with this great group. By 2000 Dad’s PD had progressed and my husband and I became the full-time care partners. Because I had consulted in skilled nursing facilities in the past, I was determined to keep dad in his own home and if possible, die at home. Although I had worked with care partners in the past, until I became a care partner for my father, I really didn’t understand the challenges they go through. Continue reading “SELF-CARE FOR CARE PARTNERS”

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Caregiver Support through Therapy

Caregiver Support through Therapy
Naples Daily News

Offering support for caregivers

Margot Escott was profiled in the Naples Daily News in Florida about the importance of offering a support system for people who take care of loved ones. The newspaper reported that Escott and her husband took care of her father when he was suffering from the effects of Parkinson’s disease and dementia.

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Caregivers need care themselves for the challenges of a disabled loved one

By Nori St. Paul
Published on: 6/30/2013

Not long ago, Naples resident Shirley Hubers became an adult caregiver. Her husband Dave, who recently turned 70, had had a tough time this past couple of years.

Since 2011, he has had a challenging double knee replacement. Then he suffered a heart attack. During his heart problems, Dave’s body went into septic shock and he was induced into a coma. He had triple bypass surgery, and then suffered a knee infection, followed by removal of one of the artificial knees, adding a spacer, and then a new replacement some time later.

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