More than four years ago, when Jessie Ritter started working at the Dublin Retirement Village as the program coordinator, she noticed that many residents with Parkinson’s disease had needs that were not being met.
“We didn’t have anything at the time,” Ritter says.
So, she reached out to the Parkinson’s Foundation Great Lakes chapter and soon got involved with the organization’s Moving Day Columbus event. Her involvement grew, and through the Parkinson’s Foundation, the Dublin Retirement Village began to offer free exercise classes to residents and older adults throughout central Ohio.
“I feel like it has made a huge impact,” Ritter says.
Moving Day History
Since its inaugural year in 2012, Moving Day Columbus has raised more than $1.2 million for the Parkinson’s Foundation and is now one of 45 cities with such an event.
“In the last 10 years, Moving Day has united more than 150,000 people in the fight against Parkinson’s disease and has raised more than $30 million to fund cutting-edge research and community pro- grams,” says John L. Lehr, the president and CEO of the Parkinson’s Foundation.
Moving Day Columbus started at the Historic Crew Stadium before moving to Wolfe Park on the east side of Columbus. In the fight against Parkinson's disease, the event features an annual fundraising walk, a children’s area, a caregivers’ relaxation station and a special Movement Pavilion, which features yoga, dance, tai chi, Pilates and other exercises.
“We have learned over the years that exercise is really the best medicine to combat the disease, delay the disease,” says Lori Gum, the development director for the foundation’s Great Lakes chapter.
Ritter Runs the Movement
Ritter has run the event’s Movement Pavilion for the last three years. She leads a different exercise every 30 min- utes for the hundreds of people who at- tend each year.
“We get going with all the music,” Rit- ter says. “It’s all about getting your heart rate up.”
Grim Statistics
Nearly one million people in the United States are living with Parkinson’s disease, which has no cure. That’s more than the number of people di- agnosed with multi- ple sclerosis, muscular dystrophy and ALS disease combined.
With 60,000 Americans diagnosed with Parkinson’s each year, the number is expected to climb to 1.2 million by 2030.
Free Classes
Photos Courtesy of Jesse Ritter
Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Ritter hosted free exercise classes for those with Parkinson’s four days a week. The classes focused on hand-eye coordination, speech and other parts of the body the dis- ease typically affects.
Ritter’s classes served 10 residents from the retirement community’s independent and assisted living residences and about six from outside of the community.
“I’ve found the classes very helpful to make me feel better,” says Barb Shapiro, a Dublin Retirement Village resident, who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s nearly a decade ago. She has also participated in Moving Day.
“It’s a terrific experience to be with so many that have the same condition you do,” she says.
This year, Moving Day Columbus will take place Oct. 3 at 11 a.m.
Aware in Care Hospital Kits
Research has indicated three out of four people with Parkinson’s do not receive medications on time when staying in the hospital. In two of these such instances, the patient experiences adverse complications as a result.
Lori Gum, development director for the Parkinson’s Foundation’s Great Lakes chapter, says it’s imperative that patients get their medication on time.
“Fifteen to 20 minutes can make a difference,” she says.
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit last year, many hospitals restricted who could enter the hospital, including patients’ immediate family. This posed complications for those with Parkinson’s because family members are often their primary advocate at the hospital.
According to the Parkinson’s Foundation, people with Parkinson’s should consider creating an aware kit bag with the following items:
- A medical alert wallet card
- Medication form
- Nurse fact sheet tear-off pad
- Hospital action plan
- ID bracelet
- Info cards (i.e. medication)
Much of the money raised during Moving Day Columbus funds initiatives such as the creation and dispersion of aware kits, Gum says.
For more information
Dublin Retirement Village offers free classes for people with Parkin- son’s disease. Its rock steady boxing class offers no-contact boxing. The retirement community also offers OhioHealth Delay the Disease, an evidence-based fitness program designed to help delay the progression of Parkinson’s symptoms.
For more information, call Dublin Retirement Village at 614-602-6749.
Brandon Klein is a senior editor. Feedback welcome at bklein@cityscenemediagroup.com.
