Nationwide Conference on Parkinson’s Disease Held in Slovakia
On April 12, 2024, to mark World Parkinson’s Day, a nationwide professional conference for nurses focused on "Caring for Patients in Advanced Stages of Parkinson’s Disease" was hosted at the office of the Žilina Self-Governing Region in the Slovak Republic.
This significant event was organized in collaboration with two departments of the Jessenius Faculty of Medicine at Comenius University in Martin—the Neurology Clinic of the University Hospital Martin and the Institute of Nursing at the Jessenius Faculty of Medicine.
The initiative to organize the event originated from the patient organization, Parkinson Slovakia. “The primary goal of this focused event was to enhance understanding of the disease, including the challenges it brings. Presentation topics covered medical foundations of the disease, nursing care for specific patient issues, patients’ perceptions of dignity, psychological problems in the context of psychological care, treatment options for advanced stages of Parkinson’s Disease, care for patients with pump systems, management of dysphagia and dysarthria from a clinical speech therapist's perspective, and the availability of healthcare in the Žilina Self-Governing Region,” explained Michaela Miertová, PhD., from the Institute of Nursing.
The conference drew 435 participants, both in-person and online, including nurses, caregivers, psychologists, speech therapists, patients, their families, and representatives from Parkinson Slovakia. The event was enriched by the contributions of various sponsors, speakers, and attendees. The atmosphere was described as both pleasant and stimulating, fostering new connections and opportunities for future collaboration.
Organizers, including the sponsors and speakers, were thanked for their contributions, which made this professional gathering a success.