Isle of Wight's response to growing Parkinson's Disease cases: The PD Warrior approach

With more than 400 Parkinson’s Disease (PD) patients currently on the Isle of Wight, and with numbers continuing to grow, the need for more support has recently been high-lighted by a far sighted and talented NHS Physiotherapist with the support of her wider team, The West and Central Community Localities Therapy Team.

PD Service developments have been led and managed by NHS Physiotherapist Rebecca Verling and have shown that the Community Therapy Team understood the enormous benefits of exercise and education to PD patients.

PD Warrior
They have researched a solution by implementing concepts of a very successful Australian exercise and therapy program, which was invented and designed specifically for Parkinson’s patients back in 2012. This is known as PD Warrior.

PD Warrior training - Stop & Squat — *PD Warrior training – Stop & Squat*

The PD Service piloted a ten-week programme which was delivered last year. Each session consisted of exercises and talks from specialists to help people with PD with the physical, neurological and social challenges of the disease.

Courses hailed a major success
Following the pilot, two further courses, each involving ten newly diagnosed participants, have been run and hailed a major success. There have been significant developments involving collaboration with a multitude of services in the local community, to further strengthen and enhance what is offered to people with PD and their families.

Each course has also evolved implementing improvements based on participant experience and suggestions. Further courses are scheduled for the foreseeable future for which funding has been secured in the form of a PD Excellence Grant and an ongoing business case.

PD Warrior training - Band stretch — *PD Warrior training – Band stretch*

Inspiration and support
Inspiration, and some funding for supporting the programme, also came from two attendees of the pilot scheme. One empowered a member of the Royal Solent Yacht Club to organise various fund-raising events for the benefit of PD Isle of Wight.

The other, after the sad loss (not PD related), of Sean Kealty who was so supportive of Rebecca’s drive and vision to bring PD focused exercise to the Island. His eulogy by Sandy Kealty below explains,

“’I can’t be who I was, but I can be closer to that than I ever thought I could be’ … that was Sean Kealty’s addressing the psychology group attached to the Parkinson’s Exercise and Education initiative, a scheme that has made such a difference to Sean, to me and to many others experiencing the early stages of Parkinson’s.

“The diagnosis had knocked us sideways but Sean was not one to be defeated. Yes, he got tired. Yes, he suffered from anxiety. Yes, his balance went ‘wonky’ and he took an age to get his socks on. But Rebecca,
“Shane and the team at Locality Therapies and Community Rehabilitation (NHS) were discussing new ways of empowering people with relatively early Parkinson’s, working on improving neural pathways, on strength and balance, addressing anxiety and depression, and creating a positive, supportive community.
“Sean threw his support into getting a programme based on these principles established on the Island. Rebecca said it would not have happened without him. I am delighted that the generous donations made in his memory will be enabling the team to train more physiotherapists and carry on the good work.”

Training programme for exercise professionals
The combined efforts of all those mentioned above allowed the Island to fund and host a training programme targeting exercise professionals, which took place at the Medina Centre on 16th September.

The delegates also had to undergo 15 hours of on-line theory training.

PD Warrior training - Team game — *PD Warrior training – Team game*

Boost to exercise professionals with knowledge of PD
Now the Island can boast 11 extra local exercise professionals who have a greater knowledge of Parkinson’s disease and the concepts of PD Warrior, and who are all ready to help improve PD patients’ lives with their new found knowledge.

Isle of Wight exercise professionals trained in PD Warrior concepts: