Diet linked to reduced Parkinson’s symptoms
Eating a healthy diet in middle age may help reduce some of the symptoms that can come before a Parkinson’s diagnosis, according to new research.
People with Parkinson’s can experience symptoms including constipation, daytime sleepiness and depression for more than 10 years before any movement-related symptoms start. Researchers from Harvard University in Boston, US, analysed the diets of almost 50,000 people. They were asked about their diets every four years from the 1980s until they were middle-aged. They were then asked, in 2012, if they experienced two symptoms: constipation, and rapid eye movement sleep behaviour disorder, which causes people to shout and rapidly move in their sleep. Both symptoms are associated with Parkinson’s.
Action among the daffodils
William Wordsworth urged to the world to “come forth into light, let nature be your teacher”. He was obsessed with the natural world’s power to help, heal and nourish. Surely then, the lake poet would have approved of the owners of his old Cumbrian bolt hole. For they are also channelling the power of nature, in the name of rehabilitation.
Leading the remote resistance
COVID-19 could spark a cultural renaissance, according to some in the art world. Artists thrive on isolation, BBC arts chief Jonty Claypole points out, and therefore an explosion of new work could emerge from current conditions. The spirit of renaissance – meaning ‘rebirth’ in French – might also course through our workplaces. Kitchen tables, spare bedrooms and garden sheds are among the many residential quarters to have been commandeered by home workers recently.
Carrying on regardless
The way coronavirus has swept through the world has created an unprecedented situation which each country has had to adapt to. In the UK, the total numbers of confirmed COVID-19 cases and fatalities due to the virus continue to rise and lockdown remains in place at the time of writing. While business has had to temporarily end for many, particularly in sectors including retail and leisure, however, the situation is vastly different for those working in care. Work must carry on to ensure patients are looked after as usual - particularly for neuro patients, whose needs are often particularly complex - with the additional challenge of protecting them, as well as fellow care professionals, from the deadly COVID-19.
Help us to be better and stronger
UK charity The Children’s Trust, which supports children with brain injuries and their families, says demand for its services is at the highest point in its 36-year history. At the same time, however, donations are declining rapidly as people become more cautious amidst economic uncertainty. And it is not alone, with similar challenges being felt elsewhere in the third sector that supports neuro-rehab.
If your resolve is flagging…
The poem ‘If’ was borne out of Victorian-era stoicism, something we could have perhaps done with while all about were panic buying and refusing to stop partying. But just in case anyone has missed Rudyard Kipling’s message and its relevance today, care home technology company Care Planner has given it a modern update; to help recharge your batteries for the tough weeks ahead: But just in case anyone has missed Rudyard Kipling’s message and its relevance today, care home technology company Care Planner has given it a modern update; to help recharge your batteries for the tough weeks ahead:
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Is this the answer to Britain’s stroke care problems?
One in six people will have a stroke in their lifetime, according to Public Health England, while two thirds of stroke survivors leave hospital with a disability. The road to recovering lost or damaged functions can be long and arduous; and is likely to involve a cast of healthcare professionals in a range of settings. Optimising outcomes against the many complexities of post-stroke rehab – plus resource pressures and the disparate nature of some services – is a major UK healthcare challenge.
“The whole process was shocking”
The progression of motor neurone disease can be cruelly fast. The last thing families affected by it need, then, are delays in getting the vital support they are entitled to. But in households across the UK, red tape and the stuttering mechanics of local councils are causing needless hold ups in essential home alterations. Ultimately, people with the disease are becoming trapped in unsuitable housing conditions, a new study has found.
