My visit to the Brentwood Parkinson’s Group a couple of weeks ago was a surprisingly joyful affair. I’d been invited to take part in an hour-long therapy session, and I wondered whether I would be hearing about how those with this terrible degenerative disease cope with symptoms and how their fellow group members support them.
However, whilst the good people of the Brentwood Parkinson’s Group do therapy, there’s no sitting around. Led by movement instructor Meryl Kiddier, I joined the forty or so members in working our balance and core, our brains and our coordination. We sat, we walked, we danced, we clapped, we huffed, we puffed and we sang.
There was also time to chat over a cup of tea with those attending. I heard some frustration among Brentwood members of this group about the deficiencies in the way people are treated at the time of diagnosis. I’m going to be writing to our local health trusts, Essex County Council and the Department of Health and Social Care about the need for newly diagnosed patients to be given contact details for local Parkinson’s nurses, advice about local support groups and help is accessing the Blue badge application system. And I heard that whilst there is an excellent dedicated nurse at the Brentwood Community Hospital, there is only one of her.
If you, or a member of your family is affected by Parkinson’s Disease, and lives in Brentwood, do get in touch and I will pass on details of this wonderful local support group which is absolutely full of life.
