[Skip to content]

EPDA - European Parkinsons Disease Association EPDA - European Parkinsons Disease Association EPDA - Awareness EPDA - Coping Strategies EPDA - Medical Information EPDA - Patient Guide EPDA - Site Map EPDA - Rewrite Tomorrow
EUROPEAN PARKINSON'S DISEASE ASSOCIATION
.

World PD Day

The EPDA continues to develop initiatives that improve quality of life.

The main focus of the EPDA is to listen to the needs of the People with Parkinson's and their families and to develop projects based on those needs. The influence of the EPDA is the demonstration projects.

These projects gather the evidence that persuade policy makers to effect the change necessary to improve participation in life, some of which have been replicated in several countries around the world:

  • Evaluation of Physical Therapies
  • Economic and Emotional Cost of Care
  • Flexicard (in 8 languages)
  • Global Parkinson's Disease Survey (GPDS)
  • Quality of Life Art Competition
  • INFOPARK
  • Participation in Life Survey
  • PD MED
  • Parkinson's CD ROM and Self care Manual
  • Patient Information Leaflets (series of six)
  • Younger People with Parkinson's Quality of Life survey

What can we continue to do?

  • Ask people with Parkinson's and their carers what they need from neurological services.
    It is a key step to improving the management of Parkinson's, but one, which is generally forgotten by healthcare planners. There have been enormous shifts in patterns of care of chronic disease over the past few years.
  • Encourage people to participate in the management of their illness, which they can do, but only if provided with accurate information.
  • Focus more sharply on families affected by neurological disorders so that their needs can be met appropriately. Demographic changes mean that Parkinson's is set to become more common with the rise in the number of elderly, putting even more pressure on carers. By the year 2010, there will be one million people over the age of 85 in the UK alone - and over half of these will be unable to walk unaided and one in five will be demented. Populations are living longer, and with old age come frailty and more evidence of long-term neurological illnesses.
  • Combine the knowledge and clinical observations of the healthcare professionals with the experiences of those people living with, and impacted by, chronic neurological conditions.
    It is only then that it will be possible to achieve an integrated picture of the challenges of managing a chronic neurological illness such as Parkinson's.
    Gather Evidence. We need to gather the evidence, which will encourage our governments to look at the costs of care, so that they can distribute services appropriately and where they are most needed.
  • Change attitudes
    This is dependent upon education and training and it is vital for future development that expertise is shared and that collaboration and strategic alliances are encouraged. We can no longer work in isolation.
  • Develop strategic alliances that effect change
    During the last 7 years close partnerships have been forged between many organisations: the World Health Organisation, World Federation of Neurology, World Parkinson's Disease Societies, Asia Pacific Rim, Movement Disorder Society (MDS), International Council of Nurses (ICN), European Federation of Neurological Societies (EFNS), European Brain Council (EBC), European Federation of Neurological Associations (EFNA), healthcare professionals, pharmaceutical industry
  • Work together and share expertise.
    In this way it is possible to effect the change necessary to improve participation in life.
    The EPDA takes this opportunity of wishing great success to all the people and organisations that are preparing events to celebrate World Parkinson's Disease Day and thank you for your continued efforts to raise the profile and enhance public awareness.