Through successes and struggles, everyone needs a strong support system to rely on.
For people diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease and those who serve as their care partners, support is essential but often hard to find. The experiences of the disease — particularly nonmotor symptoms such as cognitive changes, difficulty sleeping, depression, anxiety, apathy, hallucinations, pain and weight loss — can surface feelings of isolation and overwhelm.
In the words of Jori Fleisher, MD, MSCE, FAAN, associate professor in the Department of Neurological Sciences and one of the field’s most passionate advocates for people with Parkinson’s disease and their caregivers: The calvary isn’t coming.
But this is exactly the challenge Dr. Fleisher has devoted her career to solving. Driven by personal experiences with family members affected by neurologic diseases and the individual experiences of the patients she treats, Dr. Fleisher seeks to implement, improve and widely distribute programs that improve the lives of people with Parkinson’s disease, other movement disorders and their care partners. She strives to equitably expand access to quality care for those who are homebound or in later stages of the disease and ensure patients’ individual goals and wishes are achieved.
Integral to Dr. Fleisher’s approach is the idea that when caregivers are cared for, people with Parkinson’s disease also experience a better quality of life.
Parkinson’s Patients and Caregivers Well Being Fund has been established to safeguard Dr. Fleisher’s research time, help her hire the right people to advance her work and inspire like-minded people to contribute. Please give now to support Parkinson’s patients and their care partners.