Therapeutic innovation: the Parkinson Group at Clinique Valmont
Innovation is a key concept in the philosophy of the Clinique Valmont, and the teams are constantly looking for new approaches to improve their patients' recovery. It was under the impetus of four therapists - Charlotte Brun, sports instructor in adapted physical activity, Florence Dumoulin, speech therapist, Chloé Fritsch, physiotherapist, and Marine Guilbot, occupational therapist - that the Parkinson's Group was born. Every Tuesday, seven participants meet at the clinic for two physical therapy sessions and one cognitive therapy session. The aim of the programme is to enable people with Parkinson's disease to maintain their somatic and intellectual capacities, while working as a team and sharing ideas with their peers.
Nearly a year after the Parkinson's Group was set up, the results are encouraging. Feedback from patients underlines the many physical and cognitive benefits, as well as the importance of exchanges with other people suffering from the same disease.
"As a group, [...] you enjoy this experience, which could have been tragic in itself. In fact, it's a joy, a social exchange, a feeling of belonging [...] so it's good for morale. And then [...] it's beneficial physiologically, you loosen up the joints, work on balance and body expression - all positive factors in the progression of the disease.
Given the success of this programme, the Clinique Valmont hopes to open a second group in 2024. To take part, patients must be able to move around independently, with or without aids. In addition, a medical prescription marked "group session" is required for each speciality (physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy).
For further information
- Tel: 021 962 35 35
- Email: groupeparkinson@cliniquevalmont.ch
