education
In any battle, knowing as much as you can about your enemy is vital. For us, the enemy is Parkinson's, and educating ourselves and others about it is key to the success of our mission. Therefore, education is integrated into all of our group's activities.
Effective education is always a mixture of both learning and teaching, so all members are encouraged to share their real life experiences. Each one of us has things we have learned, that in turn, we can teach others. That is the power of the group!! Group members are encouraged to suggest topics they would like to know more about. Parkinson’s is a disease that can have a wide range of physiological, neurological, and mental health impacts, so there is a similarly wide range of potential topics to learn about. Beyond the medical topics, there are also a variety of life changes Parkinson’s brings that we may need to understand to successfully navigate. These include; housing, finances, legal, etc.
This may seem daunting, but participation in a group like ours definitely helps. Many members have years of experience that are very willing to share their knowledge. Just ask!
One last point on education – don’t let it overwhelm you. Because of the breadth of Parkinson’s impacts and the volume of available information, it is easy (especially when first diagnosed) to feel you need to know everything about Parkinson’s immediately. Resist this urge. Parkinson’s impacts everyone uniquely, so focus on the impacts that are affecting you most right now. As your impacts change over time, you can change your educational focus.
Guest Speakers
When possible, guest speakers on specific topics are arranged for the monthly meetings. Guest speakers span a wide spectrum and have included:
- Medical Researchers
- Neurologists
- Physiotherapists
- Neuropsychologists
- Financial specialists
- Inspirational
- LHS (LHIN Health Services) previously CCAC
Internal Presentations
Our group is blessed with many members who have expertise in various topics based on either formal education, or the school of hard knocks. Many members have been living with Parkinson’s for many years and have many insights developed in the trenches. In addition, members volunteer to research specific topics and share their learnings.
In any case, these are opportunities for us to both learn from, and teach, our peers, And we take full advantage of these internal resources!
Educational Material
For your individual learning, the group maintains a “library” of printed Parkinson’s educational resources that are available at our monthly meetings or by contacting us. These resources range from pamphlets on specific aspects of Parkinson’s, to books covering a broad spectrum. The pamphlets are for the taking, but most books are shared with members using a library model.
For those with internet access, these same materials (and many more) are available on-line.
On-line Educational Resources
There is a tremendous amount of Parkinson’s related information accessible via the internet these days. But as with all other topics, we need to be sure the source of the information is credible and reputable. There are 4 sites that we recommend as a starting point:
- Parkinson Canada (link)
- Michael J Fox Foundation (link)
- Davis Phinney Foundation (link)
- Parkinson Foundation (link) – besides providing top-notch information, this organization certifies Parkinson’s Clinics as Centres of Excellence once a clinic meets their exacting standards.
