Facilitators

Community Health Education Nurses are a fantastic resource for your group meetings, and are often very helpful in providing valuable information on a wide range of health topics, and may offer to speak to your group when available.

Community Health Education Nurses can be on staff at hospitals, churches and may also work with other community health organizations, such as community health clinics, or the Aging & Disability Resource Centers (ADRC) in your area to promote healthy living to provide workshops and education as part of their community outreach.

Check with your local health organizations to see if there is a Health Education Nurse in your area to help with education for your group’s needs and interests.

Dear Facilitators,

Warmer weather is finally here and with it comes new opportunity! As I visit with many of you across the state, sharing information about WPA resources and events, I am learning more about the many ways you are finding opportunities to connect with exercise programs, local resources and other programs to help you live well in spite of Parkinson’s disease!

I want to personally invite you to join me in attending the WPA Facilitator Retreat on Thursday, July 25th at the Hilton in Milwaukee. This is a free event, with hotel and parking expense covered by WPA. This event is only for facilitators and a guest, and is conveniently scheduled for the afternoon before our annual WPA Symposium, held next door at the Wisconsin Center. CLICK HERE for more information and to register.

Exercise has been a topic we have focused on in many of our group discussions, and I have been able to view and participate in so many wonderful programs already available to our Parkinson’s community. It has truly been inspiring to hear how regular exercise has helped so many of you feel more energized, move easier, and even become more socially active! WPA understands the significant difference exercise can make in managing PD, and we have provided some areas across the state with financial assistance to develop exercise programs in areas where there are few or no programs available.

Now that we are hopeful that the weather will truly be warming up, find more opportunities for you and your groups to get outside for exercise and take in some good old Vitamin D to help the soul! Walking, hiking, biking, swimming and other outdoor activities can provide the exercise your body needs while opening up opportunities for social interaction and FUN! It hardly feels like exercise when you are doing an activity you enjoy in the company of those you love! So find every excuse to venture outside into the sunshine, and don’t be afraid to have an outdoor meeting if your planned support or exercise group meeting falls on a day with beautiful temperatures – It could spark all new conversation and insight just by being in a new environment as you share conversation!

Hope to see you soon – thank you for all you do!
-Laurie Couillard
Director of Group Engagement
[email protected] | 414-386-2305

There are never too many ways to promote awareness of your support group or exercise group in your community! One of our goals is to reach everyone in a community with resources, so no person with Parkinson disease feels alone or isolated! Here are some suggestions for promoting your support or exercise group to create awareness and increase attendance in the process:

• Flyer distribution. Did you know WPA can create flyers for you? Save time and let us help! Flyers can have a big impact on awareness, and can be placed in areas such as:
  • Senior centers
  • Churches (many churches have Parish Nurses who welcome an opportunity to share news about local support groups – and some of the nurses can even be a speaker option for you, as they are a wealth of knowledge and eager to help with health education in the community!)
  • Local connections when networking
  • Libraries
  • Physicians’ offices, in particular primary care, neurology and rehabilitation offices. (Ask the staff if you can place on tables or shelves in the waiting areas. Do not leave a stack, as staff is often too busy to distribute, and while well intentioned, may never get them out in the lobby.)
• This website! If you do not already have your group listed on our site, contact me immediately and we will get you set up. Many new patients look to our site for information, so let’s make sure they can find you here.
• Business cards for your group. Did you know that we can create business cards for you, listing your contact information, meeting date and location – free of change? Many facilitators are excited to be able to hand out cards at events or in the community to let others know about their groups. Even more importantly, many of our support and exercise group members have asked their facilitators to give them some cards to hand out when they meet another person with PD at a physician office or at an event. Please contact me if you are interested in having us print some cards for you.
• Local Aging & Disability Resource Centers (ADRC). Nearly every county in Wisconsin has an ADRC, and they are always willing to list your support group in their literature and post flyers at their sites. They can also be a great partner for promotion and speaking events.

• Participate in local health fairs- many hospitals and local organizations hold health fairs throughout the year, and you can promote your support group at these community events.

• Local Farmer’s Market in warm weather- this is a great way to impact community members- attendance at these type of markets is high, and you can reach many who have PD or know someone with PD.