Veterans with Parkinson\u2019s disease can receive a wide range of care and services from VA, including comprehensive medical services to specialized treatments, physical therapy and support for their caregivers. For one group of Veterans at the Central Virginia VA Health Care System, their Parkinson\u2019s care includes a regular check-in to see what they\u2019ve built with their latest Lego set.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe started this about a year ago,\u201d said Clinical Nurse Coordinator Jessica Kaplan. \u201cI always ask my patients what they do for fun. Sadly, many of them say \u2018nothing,\u2019 so I asked what they used to do. So many of them said that they really missed working on their car or woodworking or just tinkering with things in their garage.\u201d<\/p>\n
However, for someone with Parkinson\u2019s disease\u2014which can affect balance, dexterity and control over hands and fingers\u2014working with tools or a saw can be difficult, if not downright dangerous.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s like their light had gone out, seeing these Veterans without their passion projects,\u201d said Kaplan. \u201cLegos seemed like a perfect way to safely get them active and engaged. We are working to give that light back to them!\u201d<\/p>\n
The feedback from Veterans has been overwhelmingly positive\u2014but not for reasons most people might think.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe one thing I hear again and again is that they like this because it\u2019s hard,\u201d Kaplan stressed. \u201cIt was surprising to hear at first. But building a set or creating a new scene gives a sense of accomplishment that Parkinson\u2019s disease can rob them of in other areas of their life. It\u2019s not only good for their motor skills, but it keeps people engaged and social. It\u2019s really special to see.\u201d<\/p>\n
One Veteran said that the group provides \u201ca unique and engaging way to express creativity, relax, and achieve a sense of accomplishment. Building with bricks has been very therapeutic and meditative, allowing me to focus on the present moment and unwind.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s awesome that I have found something that brings me joy, something to do safely, something to look forward to, and a sense of fulfillment,\u201d said another Veteran. \u201cIt allows me to talk with others with similar disabilities that share the same interest, versus watching TV 24\/7.\u201d<\/p>\n
Although the group meets virtually to reduce travel burden, their goal is to take their latest project to a \u201cBrick Fair\u201d in the Richmond, Virginia, area.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe decided as a group to do an outdoor recreation scene,\u201d said Kaplan. \u201cOne Veteran is making a mountain. Another is making a tree house. Each Veteran has built their own \u2018self\u2019 mini-figurine that will be hanging out in the park-like scene. We are going to put them together and display it at the fair, with some of our Veterans attending to show off their work. I\u2019m so excited for them!\u201d<\/p>\n
Currently, VA serves approximately 110,000 Veterans with Parkinson\u2019s disease. The exact cause is still unknown, although research indicates that a combination of genetic and environmental factors can increase risk. In some cases, Parkinson\u2019s can be considered a presumptive condition for service connection when associated with exposure to Agent Orange or other herbicides during military service<\/a>, along with periods of service at Camp Lejeune<\/a>. Veterans and their caregivers who have questions about Parkinson\u2019s disease, including risk factors and potential treatment and research options, can talk to their VA care teams about connecting to the nationwide network of VA Parkinson\u2019s disease experts and centers. Learn more about Parkinson\u2019s disease<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Veterans with Parkinson\u2019s disease can receive a wide range of care and services from VA, including comprehensive medical services to specialized treatments, physical therapy and support for their caregivers. For one group of Veterans at the Central Virginia VA Health Care System, their Parkinson\u2019s care includes a regular check-in to see what they\u2019ve built with […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":423192,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5,566,1266],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-423190","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health","category-parkinsons-disease","category-visn-6"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/423190","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=423190"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/423190\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":423197,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/423190\/revisions\/423197"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/423192"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=423190"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=423190"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=423190"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
![<\/a>Legos help Veterans build both artistic communities and communities of support<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\u201cWe started this about a year ago,\u201d said Clinical Nurse Coordinator Jessica Kaplan. \u201cI always ask my patients what they do for fun. Sadly, many of them say \u2018nothing,\u2019 so I asked what they used to do. So many of them said that they really missed working on their car or woodworking or just tinkering with things in their garage.\u201d<\/p>\nHowever, for someone with Parkinson\u2019s disease\u2014which can affect balance, dexterity and control over hands and fingers\u2014working with tools or a saw can be difficult, if not downright dangerous.<\/p>\n\u201cIt\u2019s like their light had gone out, seeing these Veterans without their passion projects,\u201d said Kaplan. \u201cLegos seemed like a perfect way to safely get them active and engaged. We are working to give that light back to them!\u201d<\/p>\nA sense of accomplishment<\/h2>\nThe feedback from Veterans has been overwhelmingly positive\u2014but not for reasons most people might think.<\/p>\n\u201cThe one thing I hear again and again is that they like this because it\u2019s hard,\u201d Kaplan stressed. \u201cIt was surprising to hear at first. But building a set or creating a new scene gives a sense of accomplishment that Parkinson\u2019s disease can rob them of in other areas of their life. It\u2019s not only good for their motor skills, but it keeps people engaged and social. It\u2019s really special to see.\u201d<\/p>\nOne Veteran said that the group provides \u201ca unique and engaging way to express creativity, relax, and achieve a sense of accomplishment. Building with bricks has been very therapeutic and meditative, allowing me to focus on the present moment and unwind.\u201d<\/p>\n\u201cIt\u2019s awesome that I have found something that brings me joy, something to do safely, something to look forward to, and a sense of fulfillment,\u201d said another Veteran. \u201cIt allows me to talk with others with similar disabilities that share the same interest, versus watching TV 24\/7.\u201d<\/p>\nA Brick Fair goal<\/h2>\nAlthough the group meets virtually to reduce travel burden, their goal is to take their latest project to a \u201cBrick Fair\u201d in the Richmond, Virginia, area.<\/p>\n\u201cWe decided as a group to do an outdoor recreation scene,\u201d said Kaplan. \u201cOne Veteran is making a mountain. Another is making a tree house. Each Veteran has built their own \u2018self\u2019 mini-figurine that will be hanging out in the park-like scene. We are going to put them together and display it at the fair, with some of our Veterans attending to show off their work. I\u2019m so excited for them!\u201d<\/p>\nCurrently, VA serves approximately 110,000 Veterans with Parkinson\u2019s disease. The exact cause is still unknown, although research indicates that a combination of genetic and environmental factors can increase risk. In some cases, Parkinson\u2019s can be considered a presumptive condition for service connection when associated with exposure to Agent Orange or other herbicides during military service<\/a>, along with periods of service at Camp Lejeune<\/a>. Veterans and their caregivers who have questions about Parkinson\u2019s disease, including risk factors and potential treatment and research options, can talk to their VA care teams about connecting to the nationwide network of VA Parkinson\u2019s disease experts and centers. Learn more about Parkinson\u2019s disease<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Veterans with Parkinson\u2019s disease can receive a wide range of care and services from VA, including comprehensive medical services to specialized treatments, physical therapy and support for their caregivers. For one group of Veterans at the Central Virginia VA Health Care System, their Parkinson\u2019s care includes a regular check-in to see what they\u2019ve built with […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":423192,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5,566,1266],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-423190","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health","category-parkinsons-disease","category-visn-6"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/423190","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=423190"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/423190\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":423197,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/423190\/revisions\/423197"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/423192"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=423190"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=423190"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=423190"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}](\"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/PADRECC_Lego_032025-22_r1-3.jpg\"){kind=link}