April is Parkinson’s Awareness Month, a time to educate the public about the impact of this disease, raise funds for a cure, and increase focus on supporting those affected. Join the conversation, demonstrate your expertise, and attract new clients with original content on Parkinson’s care. Avoid getting lost in an abundance of similar coverage, though, by making your article(s) and social shares hyper-local and/or very specific to your senior care business.

Content Tips for Any Senior Care Company:

• Highlight any specialization your team has in helping to care for Parkinson’s patients.

• Interview a nearby neurologist or social worker about Parkinson’s disease — get their expert insights about how it impacts the lives of those it affects and learn their top tips for patients and family members.

• Google “Parkinson’s” and the name of your city/state to find local resources to support those in your area. For instance, a Google search for “Parkinson’s San Mateo, CA” returns results for San Francisco Bay Area organizations focused on Parkinson’s disease, as well as local support groups. Find out what’s near you and include those resources in your coverage this month.

• If your organization has participated in cany local “Moving Day” events in your area, write about those activities (including how much you helped raise for the cause) and share photos on your blog or social profile(s).

Content Tips for Senior Living Communities:

• Caring for a resident with Parkinson’s disease? Consider sharing his/her story (with the resident and resident family member’s permission), and/or interview him or her for your community blog about life before and after the disease. Include how you’re supporting his/her quality of life.

• Certain foods have been found to reduce Parkinson’s risk. Consider including those on your community’s menu this month and talking about that in your community e-newsletter or blog.

Content Tips for Home Care Agencies:

• Profile stories of clients who live with Parkinson’s disease and share how you support them. Be sure to get permission from the client and/or client’s family members before doing so.

• Sometimes doctors and family members miss the signs of Parkinson’s disease, or because symptoms can vary dramatically from patient to patient, it’s possible for an initial misdiagnosis. That’s unfortunate because getting an accurate diagnosis and treatment early can help slow the progression of the disease. In your content this month, talk about Parkinson’s risk and warning signs and how having your agency’s caregivers in the home regularly can help older adults and their families spot those concerns more quickly. And if your agency has inspired a family to get their loved one evaluated, diagnosed and treated, share that story — you may motivate others to take similar action.

Caring Resources to Support this Spark:

• Parkinson’s Disease Resource Center — includes a range of articles and informational resources to help those you serve

Additional Resources to Support this Spark:

• National Parkinson Foundation — This organization has a range of tools to help the older adults and families you serve.

• Davis Phinney Foundation for Parkinson’s — Their Living Well Challenge is an educational webinar series featuring movement disorder experts on topics relevant to people affected by Parkinson’s disease.

Content Sparks are part of Caring.com’s Content Made Simple program. See all of the Content Sparks.