Affiliations:
Department of Early Childhood, Special Education, and Rehabilitation Counseling, University of Kentucky, 237G Taylor Education Building, Lexington, KY 40506-0001, USA E-mail: E-mail: Bradley.mcdaniels@uky.edu
Abstract: BACKGROUND:Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a chronic, degenerative, neurologic condition affecting the central nervous system. The increasing prevalence of PD combined with the increasing economic need among older Americans to work later in life make employment an increasingly important topic of investigation. OBJECTIVE:The purpose of this investigation is to examine the prevalence of articles in the literature addressing the association between PD and employment. METHODS:A literature review was conducted on peer-reviewed articles from 2000–2015 on PD and employment issues. RESULTS:Although PD is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder and results in numerous sequalae that may negatively affect employment, very few articles specifically address this association. Moreover, PD has been and remains largely absent from the rehabilitation counseling literature. One possible explanation for this may that the typical age at diagnosis is 62 years-old. The literature clearly suggests that the number of Americans working past 65 is steadily increasing, which indicates that individuals with PD may still want and/or need to work. Rehabilitation counselors are uniquely qualified to provide holistic services to individuals with disabilities and provide guidance and support to assist them in gaining or maintaining their employment goals. CONCLUSIONS:PD is an increasingly prevalent chronic condition with roughly 60,000 new diagnoses annually, and the time has come that the rehabilitation counseling profession begin to address the challenges and consider opportunities for effective interventions.
