Pacing for Parkinson's is often asked what happens with the money we raise each year. We are always happy to answer more specific questions, but this page is intended to be a clear expression of the ways the money our community raises and donates helps Parkinson's patients, their families, and the work of the Johns Hopkins Parkinson's Disesase and Movement Disorder Center.
100% of funds raised go to support the research, education/outreach, and clinical efforts of Johns Hopkins Medicine, with 80% of all funds directed to these initiatives within the Parkinson’s Disease and Movement Disorders Center at Johns Hopkins. The other 20% is earmarked to support broader patient care, education and discovery initiatives, like basic science research that is central to the advancement of knowledge in all disciplines of medicine, the training of the next generation of care providers and researchers, and ensuring facilities are comfortable for patients and their families.
Year-to-year, there’s no exact formula for how P4P funds are allotted to each category – it all depends on the requests made of the PDMD Center from community partners as well as the promising research and patient care projects that dynamically emerge. The decisions are made by the PDMD Center care team as a group, and are focused on projects that are sustainable and have the potential to improve the lives of those with PD, as well as that of their caregivers.
For 2023, we're happy to share the following PDMD Center grant awardee highlights, supported by funds from Pacing for Parkinson's:
- CLOSE CONTACT for COUPLES® with PD offers couples living with Parkinson’s a way to improve communication and collaborate on partnering for activities of daily living. They will learn to negotiate a turn, a shift of weight, or an assist, in simple strategic ways that give the People with Parkinson's (PWP) agency to make decisions and protect the care partner from muscle strain and injury. Rather than only working with the PWP or the care partner, the program aligns the two in a symbiotic structure so that each can help the other.
- Forest Hill Health and Fitness Rock Steady Boxing: Our current program now offers 6 live classes per week for people with Parkinson's, addressing multiple levels of physical and mental abilities, and 2 Zoom classes per week to reach those not able to attend classes in the gym. No person with PD is ever turned away and classes continue to be free of charge for PWP (including the initial evaluation to place person in the appropriate classes to best benefit them).
- Pedaling with a Partner: The Edward A. Myerberg Center plans to create a new program for people with Parkinson’s. The plan is for the person with Parkinson’s and their care-partner to take turns on the cycle and then do a circuit workout on a chair that will be next to the bike (1 person pedaling and 1 person doing chair workout and then switching). This class will be offered twice a week.
- Aquatics for Parkinson’s on the Eastern Shore by MAPS: Aquatic therapy refers to any exercise or therapy that is conducted in a controlled and monitored water environment. For example, aquatic exercise inside a pool, usually a heated pool, can involve exercise to improve fitness levels. The American Parkinson Disease Association has recommended aquatic therapy as a good option for Parkinson’s patients. People with Parkinson’s disease who exercise regularly move and maintain balance better than those who do not. Water boasts unique properties that enable it to be used for both therapy and fitness, especially for persons who cannot comfortably move on land, as is often the case for people with Parkinson’s.
