Lorien Health Services first in Md. to certify in Parkinson’s disease care

Lorien Health Services, a family-owned assisted living, nursing home, and residential services company, announced its Encore assisted living and skilled nursing community in Howard County has become the first in Maryland to be certified in Parkinson’s disease care.

The Certified Parkinson’s Disease Care designation is awarded to facilities by Parkinson & Movement Disorder Alliance. Certification is awarded to facilities that demonstrate a commitment to training staff to create and deliver care plans with specific attention to the symptoms, medications management, and therapy considerations for people with Parkinson’s disease.

Lorien has earned praise for its successful initiatives to treat those with Parkinson’s disease, which include specialized therapies and Rock Steady Boxing, a boxing class at Lorien Mays Chapel designed to slow the progression of Parkinson’s disease. The classes are open to the community and part of a larger Parkinson’s disease outreach program.

To honor its certification, Lorien Health Services will offer a three-day online speaker series in November 2020. Guest speakers will include Dr. Fahd Amjad of MedStar Georgetown University Hospital, a neurologist and leader in Parkinson’s disease treatments.

Parkinson’s disease is a chronic, neurodegenerative disorder that impacts movement. It is the fastest-growing brain disorder in the world. Between 1990 to 2015 the number of individuals diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease doubled from 2.6 million to 6.3 million worldwide. There are treatments to relieve or slow down symptoms, including medication, physical/speech therapy, exercise, and surgery, but there is no cure.

Lorien Health Services operates nine facilities in Baltimore, Carroll, Harford, and Howard counties, as well as two additional services, Lorien at Home and Lorien Kidney Care, as an extension of the local community. The company has more than 2,078 employees.