Neuro Challenge Foundation

Care advising: a diagnosis of parkinson's disease can be overwhelming as is the amount of information available on the internet that often leaves a person asking, "what information do i need to help me or my family, starting today?" The ncf care advisor encourages families with parkinson's to seek "a better approach to parkinson's" by focusing on the things they can do today to best manage their symptoms and what therapies and services can be most useful. They connect families living with parkinson's with community resources that can help them live optimally at each stage of their disease, including therapists for services they may need in their care. Ncf care advisors work to educate families living with parkinson's so they can have a mor informed dialogue with their physicians and with each other.

Support groups: a diagnosis of parkinson's can bring with it a wide range of emotions at ever-changing levels of intensity. It is important for people with parkinson's and their caregivers to know that they are not alone in their journey. A strong community can help those with parkinson's and their caregivers address the immediate and long-term emotional impact of a parkinson's diagnosis. Parkinson's families often experience social isolation due to physical and geographic limitations. Ncf provides opportunities for families to have a community of support among those on the same journey.

Education programs: ncf monthly and annual education programs provide information on both motor and non-motor symptoms of parkinson's and the most up to date treatments available, both medical and non-medical. The programs feature speakers who are parkinson's experts in the areas of medication management, therapy options, nutrition, exercise and non-motor aspects of the disease including but not limited to anxiety, depression and dementia, and the emotional and physical strain on the caregiver. These programs are offered virtually and in the 6-county service area. The distinguished speaker series is presented in each county served by Neuro Challenge, for an in-person dialogue with regional experts. National programs include the parkinson's symposium in collaboration with sarasota memorial health care institute for advance medicine and the parkinson's expo, the largest single-day educational conference of its kind, designed to educate, engage and empower the parkinson's community with nationally renowned thought leaders in emerging parkinson's treatments, therapies and outcomes.

Therapeutic programs: ncf monthly therapeutic programs provide the most up-to-date ways to improve quality of life with various therapies and activities. People with parkinson's can take part in these programs, specific to their chronic disease and physician recommendations, to learn ways to help themselves, free of charge. Programs include: exercise, yoga and meditation, creative writing, expressive arts, and more. Other accomplishments: we are excited and honored to announce that through a competitive process, ncf was selected to participate in the patterson Foundation's margin and mission ignition initiative to create and implement a social enterprise for earned revenue. Ncf raised startup funding to launch a revenue producing initiative called the Neuro Challenge network. This new business model focuses on educating the medical community and allied health care professionals to work more effectively with people with parkinson's and will generate a sustainable source of income to support this expansion. The first three training modules are currently in the pilot phase with test partners and will be offered to the public in the second quarter of 2022.