I support the idea of training police about PD. I had an experience about a month ago, when the police pulled me over for weaving among lanes and thought I was drunk. (I had been having problems with daytime and evening sleepiness and was apparently dozing off for a few seconds at a time without being aware of it. My neurologist has since prescribed Provigil, which seems to do a good job of keeping me alert.) What's relevant here is that the officers kept on asking me how long it had been since I had taken my medication, apparently going on an alcohol-based model that you're intoxicated for a few hours after taking a drink. I explained that the medication made me better, not worse, but it did not seem to register. ----- Original Message ----- From: "rayilynlee" <[log in to unmask]> To: <[log in to unmask]> Sent: Friday, August 11, 2006 12:20 PM Subject: Claire Salamon in the news > Activist presses state to OK Parkinson's bill > Police would receive mandatory training on recognizing symptoms > BY MICHAEL ACKER > Staff Writer > SAYREVILLE - As someone who lives with Parkinson's disease, > Claire Salamon > believes a new state law is necessary to raise public awareness > and educate > law enforcement on the symptoms. > Police officers in particular, Salamon said, should know how to > recognize > when someone is in an "off" state due to Parkinson's disease, > and just how > to handle that situation. And it's all too easy to reach the > off state, > which can result in profound shaking or the inability to > perform a given > action. > "It's a difficult disease," Salamon said. "So many little > things are > involved, like medication; you must take it on time. Most other > medication, > if you take it a half an hour later or earlier, it will not > make a > difference, as long as it is in your body. [With Parkinson's] > if you are on > a schedule for every three hours, you have to take it or the > medicine just > will not work." > Parkinson's is a debilitating and incurable neurological > disorder that > causes such symptoms as slowness of movement, rigidity, poor > balance and > tremors. It is estimated that 1.5 million > Americans have been diagnosed, while another 1.5 million have > PD but have > never seen a neurologist. > Salamon is advocating passage of a bill known as the > Parkinson's Disease > Public Awareness and Education Act, now in front of the state > Legislature, > which calls for the development of a public outreach campaign, > educational > materials, and training programs for health care providers, > police, > firefighters and social services and emergency medical service > providers. > A lifelong Sayreville resident, Salamon hopes to see the > Parkinson's bill go > national if it passes both the state Assembly and Senate. The > bill is > currently in a holding file at the office of the Commission of > Health and > Senior Services in Trenton, and is awaiting action in the > Assembly. > The bill, she said, would not pose a substantial burden to the > state budget. > "Most of what is asked for in the bill is done already," > Salamon said. > Educational literature, Web sites and videos are available for > the awareness > programs through the American Parkinson's Disease Association > [APDA] and > Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick. > Salamon, who has been with the APDA for five years, noted that > most of its > members are personally affected by the disease. > "They are all such great people," Salamon said. "I have never > met a harsh > person that has Parkinson's disease. Everyone seems to be of a > kind and > gentle nature." > Robert Wood currently runs programs on Parkinson's to educate > people and > correct any misconceptions they may have of the illness. > "Many think that Parkinson's disease is an ''old person's > disease," Salamon > said. "I meet more people that tell me that they were diagnosed > with > Parkinson's when in their 30s. The youngest that I've met was > 19 years old > when she was diagnosed. I should mention Beverly, who was > diagnosed in her > early 30s and recently passed on at 82 years old. That is 50 > years of living > with PD." > Salamon expressed thanks to Barbara Schirloff, of East > Brunswick, whom she > credits for getting her interested in advocacy and helping her > begin this > endeavor with the bill two years ago. > Salamon was also thankful to Elizabeth Schaaf, coordinator of > APDA > Parkinson's Disease Information and Referral Center at Robert > Wood Johnson. > "When I was hospitalized for three weeks for emergency back > surgery," > Salamon said, "Elizabeth was right there. She [also] handled my > correspondence with Senator Frank Lautenberg." > Salamon is already making progress on the home front. > A training program coming up in the fall will teach Sayreville > police about > how to recognize Parkinson's disease in an individual who is in > an ''off'' > state. For instance, the program would help police officers > identify a > person suffering from Parkinson's who might otherwise be > mistaken for a > drunk driver. > Sayreville Police Capt. Charles Szutkowski said this will be > the first time > the department is undergoing the Parkinson's training program, > which is > scheduled for two mornings in September and October. > "Claire brought it up to me and I thought it would be a good > idea," > Szutkowski said. > If the Parkinson's bill is approved, it will be mandatory for > all New Jersey > police to have the same training to help them better handle > situations with > those who suffer from the illness and to recognize the symptoms > of > Parkinson's disease. > "It is a very good program that has done a lot of good through > the years," > Szutkowski said. "We are hoping to gain some valuable > information to help us > assist people with Parkinson's disease. As first responders, we > thought it > would be a good idea to give our people training on ways to > help." > The APDA is reaching out to other New Jersey police > departments, asking that > they participate in the hour-long educational program. > "The Sayreville Police Department is first on our training > list," Salamon > said. > Salamon plans to continue lobbying the state to approve the > Parkinson's bill > and vows to do all she can in the service of those who suffer > from the > disease, including advocacy of clinical drug studies. She is > currently > participating in a project survey for the Parkinson's Alliance > of Princeton. > "If anyone calls me on a survey or a clinical trial, I will do > anything for > Parkinson's," she said. > For information on Parkinson's support groups, meetings and > events, call the > APDA Parkinson's Disease Information and Referral Center at > Robert Wood > Johnson at (732) 745-7520. Speakers are available to educate > health care > professionals, and the hospital also has information on > neurologists who > specialize in Parkinson's. > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: > mailto:[log in to unmask] > In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn