What happens when you want to cross a road but your feet freeze? Or when you go shopping and can’t get the money out of your purse or wallet? This happens frequently to people who have Parkinson’s.
The symptoms of Parkinson’s are different in everyone; they can vary from day-to-day, hour-to-hour, even minute-to-minute. For this awareness campaign we have worked with people with Parkinson’s from all over the world and have asked them to share their personal stories. Our aim is to emphasise what it is like to live with the disease. We hope that by sharing their unique experiences, you will understand the daily challenges they face and will want to work with us to ensure people with Parkinson’s receive appropriate care.
It is vital that awareness is raised about how Parkinson’s progresses, what side effects are caused by medication, what it is really like to live with a chronic neurological condition and, of course, the increasingly damaging social and economic impact of Parkinson’s on society.
The campaign literature, Life with Parkinson's, focuses on the challenges of living with the disease. It highlights the importance of early diagnosis and treatment to delay the progression of Parkinson's and to prolong a good quality of life. It also illustrates the economic and social burden in the late stages where the impact is at its greatest on the people with Parkinson's, their families, carers and society as a whole.
We need people to appreciate the challenges. But it is also essential that decision makers understand the disease and its impact on daily life; they must actively endeavour to manage the burden of Parkinson’s through support of fund raising for much needed resources, management and research projects.
With your help, the EPDA can reduce the burden of Parkinson’s by ensuring that people receive the best care and treatment available - because this approach makes the most economic and social sense.
For more information, please visit
www.parkinsonsawareness.eu.com
