People with Parkinson’s need a plan for hospital stays

April is Parkinson’s disease awareness month. An estimated one million people in the United States live with Parkinson’s disease, the second-most common neurodegenerative disease after Alzheimer’s. Symptoms vary, but can include tremors, cognitive impairment and balance issues that lead to falls and hospitalizations.

Research has found that three out of four people with Parkinson’s do not receive medications on time when hospitalized. When this occurs, two out of three experience unnecessary complications. It is imperative for people with Parkinson’s and their loved ones in the East Texas community to be prepared for a hospital stay and shorten their stay, when possible.

As a Parkinson’s Foundation Ambassador, I urge our Parkinson’s community to order or download the free Parkinson’s Foundation Hospital Safety Guide online and use it to prepare for a hospital stay, whether it is planned or in the event of an emergency. Each guide has useful resources to help a person with Parkinson’s advocate for their best care ― like a letter to be signed by your doctor, medication form and medical alert card.

Together, we can help the Parkinson’s Foundation make life better for people with Parkinson’s. Learn more through the Foundation Helpline at 1-800-4PD-INFO (473-4636) or visit Parkinson.org/Hospitalsafety

Melinda Hermanns

PhD, RN, PMH-BC, CNE, PN/FCN, ANEF

Taking chances pays off

Who in the world is going to take a chance on enrolling in a new social work program that is not accredited?

That was the question I kept asking myself when I first started at the University of Texas at Tyler (UT Tyler) in the summer of 2020.

And then the phone started ringing… from students willing to take chances. Their words were encouraging and the comment that struck a chord was, “Good things don’t come without a challenge.”

Professor Ericka Freeman, a woman blessed with a can-do attitude, was my colleague in those early days. “Returning to my family’s hometown after 40 years and excited to help prepare students to serve the underserved populations of East Texas,” she said, “I believe my adventure was a success before it even began.”

We knew that attaining accreditation from the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) was essential to our program.

According to the CSWE website, “Most state and U.S. territory requirements stipulate that a social worker pursuing licensure or sitting for a license exam be a graduate of a CSWE-accredited program.”

The accreditation process was rigorous. It entailed program self-studies, site visits, and reviews by the CSWE Board of Accreditation over a three-and-a-half-year period.

In March 2024, the CSWE “Decision Letter” arrived. Accreditation!

On May 4th, 19 social work students, believers in a “good thing,” will walk across the UT Tyler graduation stage to receive their well-deserved Bachelor’s degrees in Social Work, degrees from an accredited program.

Rich Kenney

UT Tyler Social Work Program Director and Professor of Practice