Will Hold Online Speaker Series for Parkinson’s Disease Community
Lorien Health Services, a family-owned assisted living, nursing home, and residential services company, announced its Encore assisted living and skilled nursing community in Howard County has become the first in Maryland to be certified in Parkinson’s disease care.
The Certified Parkinson’s Disease Care designation is awarded to facilities by Parkinson & Movement Disorder Alliance. Certification is awarded to facilities that demonstrate a commitment to training staff to create and deliver care plans with specific attention to the symptoms, medications management, and therapy considerations for people with Parkinson’s disease.
“Lorien Health Services has been a leader in Parkinson’s disease care. We are pleased to recognize this facility for their quality of care and commitment to excellence in treating Parkinson’s disease,” said Andrea Merriam, vice president of community engagement for Parkinson & Movement Disorder Alliance.
Lou Grimmel, Jr., Executive Director of Lorien Encore, said his entire staff was qualified through the comprehensive series of classes. “Not just clinicians” were trained, said Grimmel. “Everyone from housekeeping to food services to clinical staff participated and learned.”
Merriam said the certification training is so comprehensive because “we found it was critical for everyone who comes in contact with a Parkinson’s patient to thoroughly understand the disease to better take care of them.”
“Lorien Encore’s values reflected our philosophy,” Merriam continued. “They value their residents’ safety, wellbeing and quality of life in a way that is so holistic and comprehensive.”
Grimmel said Lorien Health Services plans to expand certification to other Lorien communities. “Parkinson’s is a very complex illness. All our communities need to have a resource that understands and can provide the highest quality of care,” Grimmel said. “At Lorien we know everyone under our roof – not just one nurse – needs to comprehensively understand Parkinson’s.”
Lorien has earned praise for its successful initiatives to treat those with Parkinson’s disease, which include specialized therapies and Rock Steady Boxing, a boxing class at Lorien Mays Chapel designed to slow the progression of Parkinson’s disease. The classes are open to the community and part of a larger Parkinson’s disease outreach program.
To honor its certification, Lorien Health Services will offer a three-day online speaker series in November 2020. Guest speakers will include Dr. Fahd Amjad of MedStar Georgetown University Hospital, a neurologist and leader in Parkinson’s disease treatments.
Parkinson’s disease is a chronic, neurodegenerative disorder that impacts movement. It is the fastest-growing brain disorder in the world. Between 1990 to 2015 the number of individuals diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease doubled from 2.6 million to 6.3 million worldwide. There are treatments to relieve or slow down symptoms, including medication, physical/speech therapy, exercise, and surgery, but there is no cure.
“One symptom of the disease is a ‘masked’ expression or face,” said Grimmel. “Our team knows there is a vibrant human behind that mask. We go above and beyond to make that connection and accurately understand what our Parkinson’s resident is going through.”
For more information about Lorien’s Certified Parkinson’s Disease Care designation, visit https://www.lorienhealth.com/
About Parkinson & Movement Disorder Alliance
Parkinson & Movement Disorder Alliance (PMD Alliance) is a national, independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to helping people impacted by movement disorders learn, live more fully, and connect to community and resources.
About Lorien Health Services
Lorien Health Services is a family-owned nursing home and assisted living company. An industry innovator, Lorien operates nine facilities in Baltimore, Carroll, Harford, and Howard counties, as well as two additional services, Lorien at Home and Lorien Kidney Care, as an extension of the local community. Lorien believes in knowing its neighbors and designing facilities and services to support them. The company employs more than 2,078 Marylanders and strives to be the employer of choice while helping to sustain Maryland communities.
Lorien was recently voted “Best Elder Care” company in The Baltimore Sun and “Best Assisted Living Facility” and “Best Health System” in The Daily Record. It was also named a “Health Care Hero” by The Daily Record for its advancements in nursing care and received the top recognition nationally in McKnight’s “Excellence in Technology Awards” for its emphasis on quality care. For more information please visit: https://www.lorienhealth.com.
