The Gentleman in the Dining Room

I was working as a marketer at an assisted living community in the Fox Cities.  I remember seeing a gentleman in the dining room struggling when eating his dinner.  His spoon was shaking as he lifted it up to his mouth. Food fell off at each attempt, yet he continued. He always sat with the same two gentlemen. They seemed kind and never seemed to make this gentleman feel uncomfortable during this normal task that was such a struggle for him.  I couldn’t help but think how hard this must be for him emotionally and physically.  After dinner I noticed he would walk slowly back to his apartment .  He had a shuffle when he walked. Sometimes he would stop in the middle of the hall almost as if he wasn’t sure of the next step.  

I never had much opportunity to be with the residents but loved talking with them when I could.  One morning I decided to go and introduce myself to the gentleman that I noticed in the dining room the night before. He graciously invited me into his apartment and the first thing he said was, “Kim, I have Parkinson’s.” This gentleman was very comfortable and knowledgeable talking about his disease.  He explained that he has had this disease for over 20 years and it is getting harder for him now to do the normal daily tasks. I thanked him for helping me understand. I felt inspired when I left and blessed to have learned about his condition. He had a wonderful sense of humor and continued to demonstrate incredible perseverance. From that moment, I felt a need to become an advocate for people with Parkinson’s. 

April is Parkinson’s awareness month.  This special month allows us to become educated in this life changing disease and learn the many symptoms that impact a person in their daily life. My advocacy has led to Parkinson’s support groups along with an annual awareness event called Pitching for Parkinson’s.  Please take a moment this month to learn more about Parkinson’s. A great resource is the Wisconsin Parkinson’s Association.  If you have any questions regarding the Parkinson’s support groups or Pitching for Parkinson’s reach out to me at kpatterson@carepatrol.com   

 Kim Patterson