Building a new future for Veterans with Parkinson’s disease

​Photo Credit: VA

According to the 2024 HCAOA Member Survey, more than 1/3 of agencies serve Veterans, and currently the Department of Veterans Affairs serves approximately 110,000 Veterans with Parkinson’s disease, who can receive a wide range of care and services including comprehensive medical services to specialized treatments, physical therapy and support for their caregivers. For one group of Veterans at the Central Virginia VA Health Care System, their Parkinson’s care includes a regular check-in to see what they’ve built with their latest Lego set.

We started this about a year ago,” said Clinical Nurse Coordinator Jessica Kaplan. “I always ask my patients what they do for fun. Sadly, many of them say ‘nothing,’ so I asked what they used to do. So many of them said that they really missed working on their car or woodworking or just tinkering with things in their garage.”
However, for someone with Parkinson’s disease - which can affect balance, dexterity and control over hands and fingers - working with tools or a saw can be difficult, if not downright dangerous.
 
“It’s like their light had gone out, seeing these Veterans without their passion projects,” said Kaplan. “Legos seemed like a perfect way to safely get them active and engaged. We are working to give that light back to them!”
 
Click here to learn more.