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Tailoring services to individual needs
Occupational therapy is an integral part of a new community-based treatment and research centre located in Canterbury that offers a range of non-drug therapies for Parkinson ’ s disease , all under one roof . Here , Katie Skelton talks about her role within the centre .
O ne in 37 people live with Parkinson ’ s , a prevalence that is set to nearly double by 2065 . Drug therapies can partly manage the motor symptoms , which include tremor , muscle rigidity , freezing of gait , and slowness of movement . Other symptoms , such as mood disturbance , fatigue , pain , cognitive impairment and bladder and bowel changes , are harder to manage .
Accordingly , the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence ( NICE ) points out that the multi-faceted nature of Parkinson ’ s requires a multi-faceted treatment approach , which includes non-pharmacological therapies such as occupational therapy , physiotherapy , speech and language therapy and nutritional guidance .
Although not mentioned in the current NICE guidelines , mental health therapy is also considered essential by the Neurological Alliance and NHS Long-Term Plan .
Unfortunately , access to non-pharmacological therapies is often delayed and difficult to secure on an on-going basis .
In the 2019 Parkinson ’ s UK audit of services available within Kent , less than 24 % said that they can access occupational therapy , while the national average is 41 %. In addition , only 27 % said that they can access physiotherapy ( national average is 53 %) and 24 % said that they can access speech and language services ( national average is 36 %).
To address these shortcomings in non-pharmacological therapy , on World Parkinson ’ s Day on 11 April 2023 , we launched a community-based clinical , research and educational centre ; the first of its kind anywhere in the world . The Parkinson ’ s Centre for Integrated Therapy ( PCIT ) provides comprehensive , individualised access to evidencebased , non-drug treatments , to improve physical and mental wellbeing . Key therapies include occupational therapy , neurophysiotherapy , group exercise , massage , hydrotherapy , psychotherapy , speech and language therapy , nutritional advice and group singing .