DVD helps
educate about Parkinson's Disease
Newswise — The Washington State
Chapter of the American Parkinson Disease Association has
released a 90-minute patient education DVD for people with
Parkinson’s, their physicians, families and friends.
The DVD, titled “Managing
Parkinson’s: Straight Talk and Honest Hope,” is now
available for no cost through the APDA Information and
Referral Center located at the University of Washington in
Seattle.
“Our goal is to place this DVD
into the hands of everyone who can benefit from it. The
title comes from our belief that receiving a diagnosis of
Parkinson doesn’t mean that your life is over,” said Mike
Shanahan, former UW chief of police, who was diagnosed with
Parkinson’s 12 years ago. Shanahan has devoted countless
volunteer hours to the DVD project.
“There are things that you can
do, and need to do, to live with Parkinson’s,” Shanahan
said. “With growing numbers of early onset Parkinson’s
cases, like Michael J. Fox, the need for honest, hopeful
dialogue is becoming critical.”
Prominent Parkinson’s experts
from around the world were recruited to take part in the
DVD, including Dr. Philip Swanson, Dr. James Leverenz and
Dr. Ali Samii of the University of Washington Department of
Neurology.
“The value of this tool is in
the message it provides: that the world is not over once a
person is diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease,” Samii said.
“Although there is no cure for it, there are lots of ways to
treat its symptoms. Among neurodegenerative disorders, I
think Parkinson’s is the most treatable and manageable.”
The DVD begins with a foreword
by Dr. C. Everett Koop, former surgeon general of the United
States.
Over half the initial 25,000
copies have now been distributed to individuals, support
groups, and physicians nationwide.
The DVD can be particularly
helpful to those newly diagnosed with Parkinson’s. An
estimated 50,000 new cases are diagnosed each year.
The DVD is available for no charge from
the Washington State Chapter of APDA as long as the supply
lasts via
http://www.waparkinsons.org,
or by phone at 206-543-5369. Further information about the
DVD and the work of APDA in Washington state can also be
found on the website.