DWP News

11/2/2020 0 Comments

Parkinson Support Center of Kentuckiana to join Norton Neuroscience Institute Resource Center

A Message from Erika Branch:
In an effort to provide continual innovation in the support of patients with Parkinson’s disease, the Parkinson Support Center of Kentuckiana (PSCKY) has worked over the past two years to determine opportunities and identify the best community partner to maximize resources and offer sustainability for existing programs. As a result, in September 2020, the PSCKY officially joined forces with the Norton Neuroscience Institute Resource Center. Click here for the full press release.

Here are a few key points from our partnership:

All existing PSCKY programs will remain open to all constituents. It is not a requirement that you are affiliated within the Norton network.

Norton Healthcare has established a restricted fund for PSCKY. PSCKY staff with the assistance of the Norton development team will continue to support fundraisers such as Denim & Diamonds, Pints for Parkinson's and TKO Parkinson’s with a commitment that 100% of the funding will go the restricted Parkinson's Support Fund.

Our current director, Erika Branch will not serve in the role of executive director but in the newly created Program Coordinator, Parkinson’s Support position. This is a dual position. Program Coordinator - within the Neuroscience Institute, managing existing Parkinson's programs from the Parkinson Support Center and eventually Norton’s PD programs. Parkinson's Support - working within the Norton Healthcare Foundation office to lead the fundraising efforts for Parkinson’s Disease.

We will maintain existing relationships with communities served, hospitals, etc.

An advisory committee of Parkinson Support Center stakeholders, constituents and community partners has been established. The committee shall meet quarterly to consult with Norton Healthcare program and development staff for recommendations regarding the Program and application of the Fund.

I genuinely appreciate everyone who has supported the Parkinson Support Center throughout our organization's history. For the first time we are able to say that 100% of funding contributed to the Parkinson's Support Fund will directly support programs (NO OVERHEAD)!!! I commend Norton's for their willingness to adopt our grassroots model of service and for the acceptance of service to patients no matter the hospital affiliation. I look forward to continuing my service to the Parkinson's community and sincerely feel that the possibilities are limitless with the additional resources that are provided through this partnership!

Sincerely,
Erika Branch

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10/23/2019 0 Comments

Get Your Groove On and Try Something New!

Everyone at every age and with all levels of experience (or none at all) is invited to experience the joy that comes from dancing in a Dance Wise for Parkinson's class!

Not sure about trying something new? Worry that you'll feel uncomfortable or look silly when you try?

It's true, trying something new can feel scary. But how do you grow and change if you always stick with what you already know? Trying new things expands your capacity to view the world around you from a new perspective and appreciate life in new and exciting ways.

So, let's do this!

It's all about being willing to walk into the unknown...together!

"It lifts my spirit. The music, the movement, the sharing, the teacher is inspiring and invigorating." ~DWP Dancer

Think about how you begin to learn any new skill. It takes time, repetition and a clear vocabulary that informs the “how” while a skilled instructor demonstrates and guides. This holds true for dancers starting out at any age and level of mobility or coordination. With an open mind, a few bobbles, and loads of joyful explorations to expand the mind and body, within a few classes, a studio full of dancers emerges!

Just imagine a beginning piano student attempting to create a complete piano piece without first acquiring a working knowledge of notes, harmony, and rhythm. Or a computer programmer attempting to write instructions that a computer will understand without a thorough understanding of the language of code. Although dance is the most natural form of expression for humans (it was your first mode of human communication as an infant!), learning and becoming a comfortable and confident creative dancer takes a little time, novel repetition of guided dance explorations, a structured learning environment, and a vocabulary upon which the steps and skills are built.

And here’s the really exciting news...we have a brand new class in Clarksville, IN where a new group of Dance Wise for Parkinson’s dancers will be growing from the ground up starting this fall. As the leaves fall from the trees to prepare for winter, we’ll be planting the seeds to grow our dance skills and finding our artistic voice one class at a time.

In fact, we're holding a special open house so you can try out a Dance Wise for Parkinson's class, tour the gym, see and try out the many other martial arts offerings available for your entire family. Every class participant will go into a drawing for a FREE membership! Mark your calendar, invite a friend, and plan to attend!

When
Open House
10:00 am - 2:00 pm
Dance Wise Class
12:30 pm - 1:30 pm

Where
Full Moon Martial Arts
1430 Cedar St.
Clarksville, Indiana 47129

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9/20/2019 0 Comments

Dancing High to Low = Better Balance and Stability!

Did you know that moving and dancing at different levels can improve your balance and give your body sensory information to help prevent falls?

This week in classes, we’re exploring the LEVELS in space where our bodies can move and groove.

Think about your body divided into three parts. From your low toes and soles of the feet up to your hips is one section - this is what we call “low-level” space. Between your hips and shoulders is your “middle level”. And the space from your shoulders up to infinity is “high-level” space.

Challenging your body to move in and through the three levels supports your balancing system by strengthening and stretching muscles. For example, dancing down low with the knees bent and in a squatting position, strengthens the large muscles in your legs and core. Dancing up at a high level - even up on tip-toe - strengthens the lower leg muscles of the calves and feet and it also keeps the core engaged. Twisting and bending at your middle level lengthens and strengthens the muscles in the back that support the spine. Keeping your middle body supple helps you adapt during weight changes and to maintain your balance when transferring from one leg to the other. Moving through the different levels also engages your eyesight, helping you stabilize based on the visual information coming in through your eyes.

Want to experience for yourself how dancing your body through the different levels impacts your balance in just one hour-long class? Why not dive right in and give Dance Wise for Parkinson’s a try!

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9/10/2019 0 Comments

Sculpt yourself into a Work of Art!

Have you taken time recently to think about how your body has the potential to make so many interesting shapes? In our daily comings and goings, it’s easy to lose sight of all the beauty that is inside of us. There are so many ways to be distracted from noticing what we can create with just our amazing bodies. So let’s take a moment to think about moving with intention, purpose and SHAPE! Imagine creating curved, straight or angular shapes with your body. Thinking and visualizing the shapes helps you to sculpt your body into many new and interesting statues that are as unique as you are!

Try making a curved shape with your arms. Think about hugging a huge beach ball, then imagine holding it with your legs or arching sideways over it. Now, try a straight shape by stretching your whole body out into space so that nothing bends. Move into an angular shape by bending all your joints, even your fingers and toes. Stretch into a different straight shape. Now, feel as though someone is twisting the upper and lower halves of your body, the way you would twist up a taffy wrapper, to form a twisted shape.

Notice how you feel when exploring the many ways of creating these different body shapes and moving them through space. Expansive? Challenged? Capable? Creative? Awkward? Whimsical? Empowered?

Next time you’re going through the motions of your daily life without much thought, take a moment to nurture your creative spirit. Become a shape-shifting masterpiece! Invent a new way to walk through your space. Your body and mind will enjoy the novelty and challenge and you will likely find renewed pleasure in familiar routines!

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Parkinson Support Center of Kentuckiana to join Norton Neuroscience Institute Resource Center

Get Your Groove On and Try Something New!

Dancing High to Low = Better Balance and Stability!

Sculpt yourself into a Work of Art!

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