I am sending this article to be posted at the urging of Linda Herman. She
read it in the newsletter of the Central NY Parkinson's Support Group. I am
the editor of that publication and the writer of the article. Some time ago,
Nancy McCaffrey, my co-editor, posted a question on the PIEN, asking if
anyone knew of a nursing home facility anywhere in the county with a separate
wing for patients with Parkinson's. Her search didn't turn up anything like
this, so we are assuming that we are one of a kind and hopefully the first of
many. The Presbyterian Homes of Central New York are located in New
Hartford, NY, which is near Utica. This is the article which Linda wanted me
to share.
Parkinson Wing a Reality
By now many of you have heard about the great excitement for PWP in our area.
A special separate wing for patients who have Parkinson’s disease has opened
at the Presbyterian Home in New Hartford. As far as we know this is a
national first, a wing in a skilled nursing facility set up especially to
treat PD patients.
Those of you who don’t have much experience with Parkinson’s may wonder why
PWP need a special unit. It’s not that they are unfriendly. It’s just
that their care, to be of the best quality, needs to be different from that
of the general nursing home population.
Medication is one of the most important considerations. Not only do we not
fit into the nursing home’s regimen, we are all different from one another.
Each patient’s meds are tailored to his own needs, but the one thing we have
in common is we need our pills ON TIME. Without them, we tend to become
frozen, unable to move. There is no point in trying to make a PWP get up and
exercise when he is “off,” in other words his medicine is not working. It
is frustrating for the patient and could be dangerous. He can’t move easily
and his balance is impaired. By waiting until he is “on”, meds working, he
will be able to enjoy his exercise, with less chance of getting hurt.
There are dietary restrictions for some PWP in that they cannot have a meal
heavy in protein before their medicine. The protein will prevent the
medicine from getting to the brain where it is needed. Then there is the
fact that PWPs frequently don’t sleep well at night. Putting them to bed at
the usual early nursing home hour won’t work
.
While a certain percentage of Parkinson’s people suffer from dementia, they
are in a minority. Most are fully aware and able to take part in their own
care. Another reason for our joy over this project is the home has just
opened a brand new rehab facility, complete with pool, which is furnished
particularly with equipment to meet the needs of PD. The really good news is
that this will be open to outpatients with Parkinson’s as well as residents.
We of the Central NY Parkinson’s Support Group are proud to have been asked
to be a part of this. Six of us have served on the steering committee:
Evelyn Petrie, Mary Wrege, Ed and Nancy McCaffrey, and Pat and Marge Moylan.
Seymour Petrie, Evelyn’s husband, Mary’s father, spent the last years of his
life at the Presbyterian Home and was to have been the first resident on the
designated PD wing. Unfortunately Seymour passed away last fall, but I
think he would be pleased at what we have accomplished.
The M & M Show (McCaffreys and Moylans) did a series of in-service training
sessions on PD for the staff at the home. The Parkinson wing accepted its
first patient on June 11. Since the good publicity on the new wing, thanks
to WUTR, WKTV, and Bill Farrell at the Observer-Dispatch, the home has been
kept very busy with calls from interested folks.
The enthusiasm of Tony Joseph, director of the Presbyterian Home, is
contagious and has certainly been the catalyst for this project. It has been
a pleasure working with him and the other members of his staff.
Nobody really wants to go into a nursing home, but if it becomes inevitable
and you have PD, the Presbyterian Home is the place I’d want to be.
Marge Moylan
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