Madeleine Hackney, PhD receives Parkinson’s Foundation grant to support education program for underserved Parkinson’s disease communities

The Parkinson’s Foundation recently awarded a $11,300 grant to Madeleine Hackney, PhD, assistant professor of medicine in the Division of General Medicine and Geriatrics. The organization awarded more than $1.5 million in community grants to support programs that provide a service for underserved Parkinson’s disease communities, initiatives that reach the newly diagnosed, and clinical trial education and participation that reach those under-represented in the Parkinson’s disease community.

“We are proud to announce these community grants and expand programs and resources in Parkinson’s communities across the entire nation,” says John L. Lehr, Parkinson’s Foundation president and chief executive officer. “These grant recipients share our passion and commitment to making life better for people with Parkinson’s.”

Hackney’s program, Developing a Research Participation Enhancement and Advocacy Training Program for Diverse Seniors: Operationalizing kNowledge (DREAM On), aims to provide accessible health and research education for diverse people with Parkinson’s disease living in rural, resource limited, and hard-to-reach communities.

“Distance learning prioritizes individual study and one-on-one accountability, with the additional benefit of accessibility for rural or mobility-limited individuals, and has the potential to address disparities in health literacy, cognition, and quality of Life,” Hackney says.

The program’s educational materials will include audios designed for Parkinson’s patients who have low literacy or difficulty completing dedicated reading sessions. Modules will also include actionable information to help educate diverse seniors on ways to stay healthy and get involved in the Parkinson’s disease community. Additionally, individuals in the DREAM On program will have the opportunity to interact with others in order to maximize the psycho-social benefits of networking with community members. A one-time pre-assessment at Emory University is required for patients interested in participating in the DREAM On program. Click here to learn more about the program.

For the full list of the 2019 grant recipients, visit parkinson.org/2019grants.

About the Parkinson’s Foundation 
The Parkinson’s Foundation makes life better for people with Parkinson’s disease by improving care and advancing research toward a cure. In everything we do, we build on the energy, experience and passion of our global Parkinson’s community. For more information, visit www.parkinson.org or call (800) 4PD-INFO (473-4636).

About Parkinson’s Disease 
Affecting nearly one million Americans and 10 million worldwide, Parkinson’s disease is the second-most common neurodegenerative disease after Alzheimer’s and is the 14th-leading cause of death in the United States. It is associated with a progressive loss of motor control (e.g., shaking or tremor at rest and lack of facial expression), as well as non-motor symptoms (e.g., depression and anxiety). There is no cure for Parkinson’s and 60,000 new cases are diagnosed each year in the United States alone.