Newswise — September 22, 2023 - Edison, NJ - The Parkinson’s Foundation has awarded a $10,000 grant to Hackensack Meridian JFK Johnson Rehabilitation Institute to support ParkinSINGs, a creative, therapeutic choir for individuals with Parkinson’s Disease that allows them to exercise and strengthen the muscles used for speaking and swallowing through singing, while also promoting social interaction, encouraging self-expression and enhancing quality of life.
“Prioritizing mental health is vital to the overall well-being for people living with Parkinson’s Disease and the ParkinSINGs choir provides exercise and enjoyment,” said Janice P. Dibling, MS, CCC-SLP, manager of Acute and Inpatient Rehabilitation Speech Pathology, Department of Speech Pathology and Audiology, JFK Johnson Rehabilitation Institute. “Symptoms of Parkinson’s Disease, including anxiety, apathy and depression, are often overlooked or undertreated and can often negatively affect mood, cognition, sleep and more, impacting emotional well-being and worsening symptoms. We thank the Parkinson’s Foundation for their grant so we can further expand this important program!”
Generous grants from the Parkinson's Foundation over the last four years have enabled JFK Johnson Rehabilitation Institute to pilot ParkinSINGs and grow the program from 15 to more than 65 members and their care partners. Patients are able to participate at no cost and experience improvement in mental as well as physical symptoms of Parkinson’s Disease.
“We are so grateful for the Parkinson’s Foundation's wonderful support of our ParkinSINGs choir,” said Sheri Marino, MA, CCC-SLP, executive director of JFK University Medical Center Foundation. “This grant will allow our care providers to further expand our program by adding exposure to yoga, mindfulness, meditation and deep breathing exercises to help reduce stress, anxiety, depression and other mental health challenges among patients and their loved ones. We are able to make such a difference in the lives of our patients through this program and expanding it will enable us to make an even bigger impact. ”
“Community-based grants can empower leaders of meaningful Parkinson’s programs who both understand and are equipped to handle the local community’s most pressing needs,” said John L. Lehr, president and CEO of the Parkinson’s Foundation. “These investments reflect the foundation’s continued commitment to making a difference in the lives of people with Parkinson’s disease from all walks of life.”
To learn about how you can support the ParkinSINGs program, contact Sheri Marino at [email protected]. To make a gift to JFK Johnson Rehabilitation Institute, visit GiveHMH.org/JFKJRI.
ABOUT HACKENSACK MERIDIAN JFK JOHNSON REHABILITATION INSTITUTE:
Named in the Top 30 Rehabilitation Hospitals in the Country by U.S. News and World Report, JFK Johnson Rehabilitation Institute is a 94-bed facility in Edison, New Jersey, that offers the state’s most comprehensive rehabilitation services to restore function and quality of life to those with physical impairments or disabilities. For nearly 50 years, JFK Johnson has served children and adults in the tri-state area — and has developed programs in specialties such as brain injury, stroke rehabilitation, orthopedics/musculoskeletal and sports injuries, cardiac rehabilitation, pediatrics, and prosthetics and orthotics. JFK Johnson Rehabilitation Institute is part of the Johnson Rehabilitation Institute, which also includes Johnson Rehabilitation Institute at Ocean University Medical Center and Johnson Rehabilitation Institute at Riverview Medical Center. Each rehabilitation hospital brings together highly specialized physicians and professionals with the goal of “Advancing What’s Possible” for every patient. The JFK Johnson Rehabilitation Institute also partners with the St. Joseph’s Health Acute Rehabilitation Unit at St. Joseph’s Wayne Medical Center in Wayne, New Jersey. JFK Johnson Rehabilitation Institute serves as the Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Department of the Hackensack Meridian Medical School and Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. To learn more, visit JFKJohnson.org.
ABOUT HACKENSACK MERIDIAN HEALTH FOUNDATION
Hackensack Meridian Health Foundation, a registered 501(c)(3), is the philanthropic division of Hackensack Meridian Health, a leading not-for-profit health care organization that is the largest, most comprehensive and truly integrated health care network in New Jersey, offering a complete range of medical services, innovative research and life-enhancing care. The foundation oversees fundraising for the network’s three academic medical centers, two children’s hospitals and seven community-based medical center foundations, as well as key initiatives, programs and services offered by Hackensack Meridian Health, including nursing support, behavioral health, children’s health, Hackensack Meridian Health’s Center for Discovery & Innovation and Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine.
Hackensack Meridian Health Foundation has been designated as both a High Performer Overall and Healthcare System High Performer by the Association for Healthcare Philanthropy (AHP) within their 2022 Report on Giving.
Visit GiveHMH.org/Donate for more information.
About the Parkinson’s Foundation
The Parkinson’s Foundation makes life better for people with Parkinson’s disease by improving care and advancing research toward a cure. In everything we do, we build on the energy, experience and passion of our global Parkinson’s community. Since 1957, the Parkinson’s Foundation has invested more than $425 million in Parkinson’s research and clinical care.
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