by Chris Gaffney, Executive Director
Parkinson Support & Wellness entered 2022 hopeful for a better year than the previous two years of pandemic. We had watched our Parkinson community struggle with Covid-19 and the isolation that the virus imposed. We were determined throughout 2020 and 2021 to provide programs and platforms that pierced that isolation and allowed us all to connect whether through support groups and exercise programs that evolved to virtual options, or through continuing our educational programs via Zoom.
In 2022, PSW provided 12 PD EDUs (our monthly educational programs) and our annual educational event, The Harvey Chyette Spring Forum. We continued to archive PD EDUs and Spring Forum 2022, building an inventory of helpful programs that are accessible anytime. Unfortunately, these were still restricted to online presentations. We added to our blog, where members of our community share their experiences. We re-established in-person events with our Parkinson’s Awareness night with the Florence Y’Alls baseball club in August, and Steady Strides built on 2021’s October race with an even better turnout on October 1 this year.
Physical exercise is the best defense against the progression of Parkinson’s disease. Programs in our area designed specifically for Parkinson’s patients are growing and Parkinson Support & Wellness is playing a significant role in that growth. First, we provide a matrix of those programs on our website and in our newsletter. Grouped by neighborhood, day of the week, type of exercise, and online access, it is possible to develop your personalized plan to slow the progression of symptoms. To help make exercise opportunities affordable and accessible, Parkinson Support & Wellness offers grants to providers of exercise programs appropriate for those with PD. In 2022 we awarded $86,870 in grants to enhance instructor training, to encourage the development of new programs and to keep costs to our constituents as low as possible.
Thanks to the efforts of dozens of volunteers and the generosity of the friends of Parkinson Support & Wellness, we were able to recoup financially and we enter 2023 in a good financial stance and eager to expand awareness in our community of the services that PSW provides. We will expand our service offerings and our geographical service area. We are excited to build new alliances with other support organizations and strengthen ties to partners in our service area. We are fortunate to live in an area that boasts multiple Centers of Excellence as designated by the Parkinson Foundation. We highly value and deeply appreciate our partnerships with each of them.
As we begin 2023, we are eager to hear from you about your struggles, your victories, and ways that we can support your plan and efforts to health and wellness. Please reach out to us at info@parkinsoncincinnati.org or 513.55.0113 or plan to see us at The Harvey Chyette Spring Forum in April.