[P]eople with Parkinson’s in Penrith will benefit from a laser cane; a new piece of equipment to improve their walking. The laser cane will help patients with Parkinson’s disease who have problems with walking. It projects a line onto the floor so the patient can see where they should be aiming for with their feet – encouraging them to take bigger, smoother strides and improve their walking pattern.
Andrew Speight, Senior Physiotherapist in the Community Neuro Therapy Team in Penrith explained “It is important to help patients keep moving and walking. The laser cane helps people to improve their walk, which can prevent the risk of falls, breaks and fractures in the future. We can use this in the hospital outpatient department and also take into patients home if necessary. We would like to thank the League of Friends for their kind donation; the cane will be a really useful addition for our team and will change the way we work with patients.”
Parkinson’s is a progressive neurological condition which causes problems in the brain and gets worse over time. There is currently no cure and it is not known why people get the condition.
The League of Friends raise money from coffee mornings, summer fetes, Christmas Fayres and bequests to buy pieces of equipment which are extra to basic NHS provision and which enhance the care and rehabilitation of patients in the hospital.
Linda Mitchell from the League of Friends said “We are pleased to be able to support the patients of the Hospital and provide additional items to help them in their treatment. We would like to thank the local people in Penrith who help us with fund raising.”
