Parkinson's Desease Book & CD-ROM Updates

THE SEPTEMBER FOUNDATION

The September Foundation is a non-profit organisation. It is based in Amsterdam and specialises in the implementation of self-care projects.

Activities

The September Foundation specialises in developing books, CD-ROMs and Internet-sites that provide information on health and health care for different diseases.
The Foundation is responsible for all the Dutch national self-care manual projects.

Target groups

The materials are primarily written for patients and their families. However, due to the quality of the information provided, these books, CD-ROMs and Internet-sites are also widely used by health care professionals.

Basics

All the materials are written in close co-operation with leading specialists in the field; this results in state of the art information.
The character of the information is practical: it focuses on what patients and health care workers can do to alleviate the condition.
The information is integral: it deals with every aspect of a disease (medical, psychological, social, legal, etc.).
The information can be easily understood by people with different levels of education.

Different types of materials

September produces several types of materials:
1. Self-care manuals
Self-care manuals consist of 225 pages, large-format book. They provide extensive information about an illness. The manuals are being updated on an ongoing basis. The updates appear for free on the Internet.

2. Equipment and Adaptations books
These books aim at providing complete information about equipment and adaptations regarding specific illnesses: which, why, when, where to buy them, prices, funding etc.

3. CD-ROMs
CD-ROMs provide extensive, integral information about an illness. They draw on multi-media's full potential: text, sound, video, photographs, cross-linking and animations.

4. Internet-sites
An Internet-site contains the same, high quality information as a CD-ROM, also drawing on multi-media's full potential

What materials are available? Self-care manuals:
- Aids
- Astma/COPD
- Heart Attack
- Angina pectoris
- Hypertension
- Breast Cancer
- Incontinence
- Multiple Sclerosis
- Parkinson's Disease
- Dementia
- Food allergy
- Epilepsy
- Home Care
- Kidney Disease
- Depression
- Pain
- Diabetes
- Rheumatoid Arthritis
- Arthrosis
- Cystic Fibrosis
- Celiac Disease
- Food Allergy and Intolerance
- Hirschsprung's Disease
- et cetera

Equipment and Adaptations books
- Decubitus (bedsores )
- Rheumatoid Arthritis

CD-ROMs
- Parkinson's Disease

The Foundation's activities

The September Foundation undertakes complete projects:
- Fund raising
- Assessment of the needs of the people involved
- Collection of existing materials
- Co-ordination of the writers/advisors/animators/photographers etc.
- Editing
- Co-ordination of the production (printing, lay-out, illustrations, shooting of video etc.)
- Designing the distribution strategy, co-ordinating the distribution
- Promotion
- Evaluation
- Updating the manuals, CD-ROMs and Internet-sites

Although September is capable of undertaking complete projects, our working process can be adjusted according to the wishes and possibilities of the participating organisations.

The projects are implemented in co-operation with all involved parties such as: government, patients' organisations, professional health care workers, volunteer organisations and hospitals.

Our activities are largely financed by grants from the Dutch government, the European Commission, sponsoring and endowments by funding organizations for patiens and the disabled.

International experience

The September Foundation has considerable experience of international projects.
For instance:
- The Dutch Aids self-care manual has been translated and rewritten to meet the needs of people with Aids in fourteen other European countries.

- The self-care manual and CD-ROM on Parkinson's Disease have been published in the United Kingdom.

- Books and manuals on Food Allergy and Intolerance, Diabetes and Aids are being published in Russia

For further information, please contact:

The September Foundation:

E.H. Coene, M.D., Director
Nieuwpoortkade 2 A
1055 RX AMSTERDAM
The Netherlands
Phone: +31 20 60 60 745
Fax: +31 20 60 60 798
E-mail: info@stichtingseptember.nl