Program areas at Houston Area Parkinson Society
Therapeutic and Enrichment Programs and Support Services: HAPS provided speech therapy, exercise, water exercise, tai chi, yoga, dance, singing, boxing, and support groups each month, with a combined attendance of more than 1,200 hours of service each month in 2022. HAPS offers enrichment programs throughout the year that connect individuals with Parkinson's and their family members to others with the disease. The objective is to create fun social environments that help reduce the isolation of individuals living with chronic illnesses.HAPS programs are offered free of charge and totaled over 87,200 service hours in 2022.
HAPS social workers handled intake and referral calls, made home visits to assess needs, and conducted consultations to find solutions to address those needs. They also facilitated 16 specialized monthly support groups for people with Parkinson's disease (PD). Groups included the general PD population, PD patients, caregivers of PD patients, caregivers of people with PD and related dementia, people with atypical PD, newly diagnosed patients, and those grieving the loss of a loved one. HAPS also managed the ongoing needs of individuals and families, assigned emergency financial aid, arranged transportation to medical appointments, and provided respite care.
Education about Parkinson's disease: The HAPS monthly newsletter, Journey, was sent to 5,000 households and email addresses monthly. All education programs returned to in-person programming while continuing to conduct occasional webinars. Education included three Summer Lecture Series sessions, five Newly Diagnosed Education Program events, the biennial THRIVE Caregiver Conference, ten Community Partners Presents sessions, and several bonus educational programs throughout the year. Nearly 6,000 hours of education were presented in 2022.