Parkinson’s UK: Change Attitudes. Find a Cure

Every hour, someone in the UK is told they have Parkinson’s.

What is Parkinson’s?

The NHS describes Parkinson’s as a condition where part of the brain (substantia nigra) becomes progressively damaged. It is caused by a loss of nerve cells in the substantia nigra, which leads to a reduction in dopamine in the brain.

This reduction in dopamine is the reason for the main symptoms of Parkinson’s disease:

• Tremor
• Slow movement
• Stiff and inflexible muscles

Other symptoms include depression, insomnia and memory problems.

The exact cause for this loss of nerve cells is still unclear, but most experts think both genetic and environmental factors are responsible.

Who is affected?

In the UK, around 1 in 500 people are affected by the condition- an estimated 127,000. It is more likely to develop in men rather than women. Most people develop symptoms after the age of 50, but around 1 in 20 people with Parkinson’s first experience them when they are under 40.

Treatment

Although there is no cure for Parkinson’s, there are treatments to help reduce the main symptoms- maintaining quality of life for as long as possible.

Treatments include:

• Physiotherapy
• Occupational therapy
• Medication
• Surgery

People respond differently to treatments. Some people experience mild to moderate disability, but others may become severely disabled. Thanks to medical advances, most people with Parkinson’s disease now have a normal or near normal life expectancy.

Parkinson’s Awareness Week 2016

Charity, Parkinson’s UK is urging people to get involved this year from 18-24^th April. The aim of the week is to get people talking about the condition and what the charity does to help those affected.

They want to show us how a small thing can make a big difference to someone with Parkinson’s, and highlight how they change lives. See how you can get involved on their website here.

Use your head: Friday 22^nd April

Parkinson’s UK is asking everyone to get involved by making a donation to wear something on their head for a day. It could be a silly hat, animal ears, a funny wig, or just about anything you can wear on your head.

Help raise awareness and improve the lives of people affected by Parkinson’s, get involved in Use Your Head.

 View our other recent blog posts here

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Embrace-learning is a UK leading provider of quality e-learning resources to the Health and Social Care sector.

Autism, how many of us actually understand it?

The NAS describes Autism as a “lifelong, developmental disability that affects how a person communicates with and relates to other people, and how they experience the world around them”.

Who is affected by Autism?

Around 700,000 people in the UK are autistic. When you factor in their families, that makes about 2.8 million people, whose lives are touched by the condition every single day. The National Autistic Society has more than 50 years experience and works to help everyone understand Autism, and accept and appreciate autistic people for who they are.

What can you do to help?

This year, World Autism Awareness Week takes place from 2^nd-8^th April. There are a number of ways you can get involved and help spread awareness:

• Put yourself and your friends on the Autism Understanding Map
• Onesie Wednesday (6^th April)
• Night Walks (2^nd April)
• Fundraising at work (sponsored silence, guess the baby picture etc)
• Spread the word on social media

If you want more information on getting involved, click the banner below.

What can Embrace-learning do?

At Embrace, we offer an e-learning course “Supporting People with Autism”. The course explains what autism spectrum conditions are and the impact they have. It also identifies how people with the condition differ in the way they make sense of the world. Common difficulties faced by those with autism are identified, along with techniques for helping them to overcome these.

We also have a course titled “Supporting People with Asperger’s Syndrome”. It examines how Asperger’s fits in to the autism spectrum. This course explains how Asperger’s Syndrome affects the way people think and behave.

If you would like more information on any of our online training courses, or are interested in a course demonstration call us today on 0161 928 9987 or visit www.embrace-learning.com

Alternatively, you can also resell our courses. You can find out more information on our partnerships page here.