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About YEP

You are living your life to the fullest; building your career, studying or getting married; starting a family or raising teenagers. And then Parkinson's disease strikes. How do you move on and how do you shape your life after this diagnosis?

At YEP (Young & Parkinson) we understand that when you are diagnosed with Parkinson's disease at a young age, it affects your life differently than when you are diagnosed when you are older. This requires information and solutions that are tailored specifically to your situation.

YEP aims to develop information and solutions for young people with Parkinson's disease and their loved ones. We accomplish this by actively collaborating with healthcare professionals, young people with Parkinson’s disease and their loved ones to improve quality of life. 

To achieve this an extensive support network is essential. This network forms a community in which people with Parkinson's, their loved ones, healthcare providers, researchers and other stakeholders can meet, exchange experience and thoughts and work together.

A better quality of life

YEP aims to improve the quality of life of young people with Parkinson's and their loved ones. To achieve this we actively collaborate with young people with Parkinson's and their immediate environment. The insights that this collaboration provides are the basis for new initiatives in terms of care and support. In addition, they may also result in adjustments to improve existing care and support. With a bottom-up approach, the voices and needs of young people with Parkinson's and their loved ones are at the center of new developments.
 

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Centers of expertise Young & Parkinson

About YEP

At YEP (Young & Parkinson) we understand that when you are diagnosed with Parkinson's disease at a young age, it affects your life differently than when you are diagnosed when you are older. This requires information and solutions that are tailored specifically to your situation.

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Our dream

"It is our dream to initiate a movement, to establish  sustainable changes in care and support for young people with Parkinson's disease and their loved ones. Close to home when possible, farther away when necessary."

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Our dream

Parkinson's disease at a young age

A diagnosis at a younger age requires a different approach and different choices:

  • stage-of-life specific challenges, for example around work, identity, family life, relationships, sexuality or leisure time
  • women-specific questions, such as pregnancy, breastfeeding, menstrual cycle and menopause
  • more people who are involved as informal caregivers for a longer period of time, such as partners and child(ren)

Our organization

YEP’s organization consists of a core team and ambassadors. Nine people from different backgrounds, including young people with Parkinson’s, their loved ones and healthcare professionals, are involved in our core team.

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Our organization

YEP’s organization consists of a core team and ambassadors. Nine people from different backgrounds, including young people with Parkinson’s, their loved ones and healthcare professionals, are involved in our core team. This team provides the basis for YEP’s plans and acts as a contact point in all of our activities. With a large diversity in backgrounds and interests, each team member contributes their own expertise and has their own (inter)national network. 

YEP’s ambassadors are a group of enthusiastic young people with Parkinson’s and their loved ones, like their partners or children. They play an important role in YEP’s publicity, raising awareness and expanding our network. In addition, they pick up signals regarding needs and challenges, and share these insights with the core team. 
Moreover, YEP members are involved in an active way, for instance by joining a project group or joining a YEP event.

Are you a young person with Parkinson’s, or do you feel involved, for example because you are a partner, child or in another way connected to someone who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s at a young age? Leave your contact information in our contact form. You’ll be subscribed to our quarterly newsletter, and allows us to invite you to events or activities organized by YEP and our partners.

National platform

The national platform 'Jong en Parkinson' is facilitated by YEP in collaboration with the Dutch Parkinson's Association. Click on the button below to go to the platform. 

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Our partners

We cannot do this alone. Our partners are essential in achieving our goal.

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