MEDIA RELEASE – DARTMOUTH PARKINSON’S CAFÉ LAUNCHED AND A GENEROUS DONATION ANNOUNCED – ON THE SAME DAY!

Alison Hughes presents a cheque to the Parkinsons Cafe, alongside David Merriman with Sarah Farnsworth and Celia Stevens of Dartmouth Caring.

Dartmouth’s new support group for those suffering from, or affected by, Parkinson’s has held its first meeting – and was given its first donation!

The Parkinson’s Café, which will be held in the Community Café in Dartmouth’s newly renovated Old Market, aims to give support to those suffering from the degenerative disease Parkinson’s, which affects the body, and creates tremors and other problems.

There is no cure, but founder of the group, David Merriman, is living proof it can be managed long term. His friends, Alison Hughes and Richard White have donated £250 towards the café – which it is hoped will give support not only to those suffering from the disease, but give support to their carers too.

David, 62, was diagnosed with the disease in October 2005. He only stopped working as a civil engineer after Christmas 2010.

‘The aim of the group is to ensure that those affected by Parkinson’s can get support and not feel isolated,’ he said. ‘We hope that the group will feature talks, support and activities which keep the minds of those who come along active. This is a physical condition and it’s important for people with it to keep their mind stimulated – it really helps. I’d like to thank Alison and Richard for their very generous donation – which will help us to get established over the next few months.’

The first talk to the group – which meets on the third Thursday of every month in the café at 11am – is on November 17 and by Parkinson’s Nurse Sian Day and the Parkinson’s Society. Sian, who will be visiting the group regularly, will be speaking about treatments and how to manage the disease both as a carer and a sufferer.

For more details on the Parkinson’s Café call Dartmouth Caring on 01803 835384 or email enquiries@dartmouthcaring.co.uk.

MEDIA RELEASE, DARTMOUTH CARING – DARTMOUTH CARING’S UNIQUE NEW PARKINSON’S CAFÉ WILL HELP SUFFERERS AND CARERS

A new ‘Parkinson’s Café’ is to start in Dartmouth in September is to help those suffering from the degenerative physical disease – and also aim to help those caring for them.

The new Café is looking for volunteers, who will receive training, and gain the satisfaction of helping those with a challenging and very debilitating condition.

Parkinson’s disease is a progressive and fluctuating neurological condition affecting movements such as walking, swallowing and writing. It has three main symptoms. Tremors normally commence in one hand or arm and become more noticeable when the client is anxious or excited. Muscular rigidity, which can often be incredibly painful, where many people experience a stiffness affecting facial expressions and causing basic movements, such as getting in and out of a chair or turning over in bed, to be problematic. The last symptom is a slowness of movement, it takes ages to do anything and the client lacks coordination, sometimes this may actually occur in mid movement which is called freezing. This disease is progressive and people often live with Parkinson’s disease for a very long time.

Dartmouth Caring, which looks out for the welfare of the elderly and vulnerable in the Dartmouth district, already runs a ‘Memory Café’ for those suffering from short term memory loss and a Visually Impaired Reading Club for those with sight problems. This new Café will aim to give help, advice and support to those affected by Parkinson’s. The service will be staffed by Dartmouth Caring and assisted by trained volunteers.

More volunteers are needed, and a training session will be held for those interested in taking up a volunteer role with the Café at Dartmouth Health Clinic on Friday 5 August. Parkinson’s UK will be doing a three hour session in the morning from 10am.  There will also be other speakers giving insights and advice on how to help those affected by the disease.

Dartmouth Caring Chairman Dee Nutt said: ‘This Café is another example of Dartmouth Caring seeing a need for a service and providing it. The affects of Parkinson’s on both the sufferer and those responsible for their care, if they are needed, can be wide reaching and very debilitating. We want to provide a service which is positive, proactive and very helpful.

If you would like to become a volunteer at the Parkinson’s Café, or would be interested in volunteering for the charity in another capacity, please call Dartmouth Caring on 01803 835384, email enquiries@dartmouthcaring.co.uk, or pop into the office opposite Dartmouth Medical Practice in Victoria Place, off Victoria Road in Dartmouth.

Similarly if you are or are involved with a Parkinson’s sufferer and interested in knowing more about the Parkinson’s Café, please contact Dartmouth Caring.