Many Northern and Central California Parkinson’s support groups have guest speakers or programs planned for April 2016. Plus I added a couple of non-support group events I learned about. Here’s what’s happening at a support group near you.
Do you need to know the support group meeting location, day/time, contact info, and how to RSVP if required? Please refer to the Stanford Parkinson’s website for all Northern and Central California support groups.
What does it mean if a support group you sometimes attend isn’t listed below? It might mean that the group doesn’t have its regular meeting this month, that this month’s meeting doesn’t have a guest speaker, or that the guest speaker info didn’t arrive from the group in time to be added here. Last but not least, it could mean that I messed up. If you are not a regular attendee of a group, it’s always a good idea to call the group leader to confirm the meeting!
Happy spring,
Robin
parkinsons.stanford.edu
**********************
San Jose/Willow Glen
Friday, 4/1, 10am-noon (speaker starts about 10:15am)
Guest Speaker #1: Cheryl Bartholomew, RN, volunteer advance health care
directive counselor, El Camino Hospital Health Library
Topic #1: Advance Health Care Directives
Guest Speaker #2: Lorna Beccaria, RN, UCSF Movement Disorders and
Neuromodulation Center
Topic #2: Participating in a study to see if supportive care helps PD
outcomes
Guest Speaker #3: Susan Denison, donor services manager, The
Parkinson’s Institute, Sunnyvale
Topic #3: “More Talk, More Walk” fundraiser
RSVP?: No.
Visalia (Central Valley)
Friday, 4/1, 10am-noon
Guest Speaker: Ronald Ziman, MD, movement disorder specialist,
NeuroCommunity Foundation, West Hills
RSVP?: No.
San Francisco
Saturday, 4/2, 9-10:30am or 11am-12:30pm
Parkinson’s 101 – What You and Your Family Should Know About PD
Location: Gatehouse at Fort Mason, 2 Marina Blvd.
9am Speaker: Nick Galifianakis, MD, movement disorder specialist, UCSF
11am Speaker: James Maas, MD, PhD, movement disorder specialist, UCSF
Note: Free. Though the speaker is different, topics covered at the two
times are identical.
RSVP?: Required by 4/1 since space is limited. Contact Colleen
Fischer, National Parkinson Foundation, phone 925-421-6737, email
cfischer@parkinson.org
Organized by Moving Day Bay Area, UCSF Parkinson’s Disease Clinic, and
UCSF Surgical Movement Disorders Center
Berkeley
Saturday, 4/2, 10:30am-noon
Guest Speaker: Caroline Tanner, MD, PhD, director, Parkinson’s Disease
Research, Education and Clinical Center, SF VA, San Francisco
Topic: The role evolving technologies can play in your PD
RSVP?: Yes, preferred; email PD Active Forum, pdaforum@pdactive.org
Requested $10 donation.
Santa Rosa (Sonoma County)
Saturday, 4/2, 1-3:15pm (speaker from 1-2pm)
Guest Speaker: Melanie Lising, MD, movement disorder specialist,
Stanford University
Topics: Hospitalization, drug interactions, mood, cognitive, and sleep
disorders
RSVP?: No.
Napa YOPD (Young Onset Parkinson’s Disease)
Sunday, 4/3, 3-5pm
Program: Two discussion groups – people with PD and support people
Note: special day since March meeting was cancelled (Easter holiday)
RSVP?: No.
Lodi
Monday, 4/4, 10-11am
Guest Speaker: Michelle Nevins, executive director, Del Oro Caregiver
Resource Center, Citrus Heights
Topic: Services to support caregivers
RSVP?: No.
San Andreas (Calaveras County)
Tuesday, 4/5, 10am-noon
Guest Speaker: Jodie Rodriguez, RD, clinical dietitian, Sonora Regional
Medical Center
Topic: Nutrition
RSVP?: No.
Placerville
Tuesday, 4/5, 1:30-3pm
Guest Speaker: Rose Firestone, former board member, PD Active
Topic: Dandruff to digestion – the many non-motor aspects of PD
RSVP?: No.
Roseville
Tuesday, 4/5, 1:30-3pm
Guest Speaker #1: Susan Feldman, community relations, BrightStar Care,
Roseville
Guest Speaker #2: Paul Kelly, administrator, Daycation for Seniors, Rocklin
Guest Speaker #3: Stefani Wilson, Del Oro Caregiver Resource Center,
Citrus Heights
Topic: Caregiver resources
RSVP?: No.
San Francisco/Kaiser
Tuesday, 4/5, 4:30-6pm
Guest Speaker #1: Rock Steady Boxing representative
Guest Speaker #2: Dance for PD representative
Topic: Exercise
RSVP?: No.
San Francisco YOPD (Young Onset Parkinson’s Disease)/UCSF
Tuesday, 4/5, 6:30-8pm
Guest Speaker: Karen Ring, PhD, website manager, California Institute
for Regenerative Medicine
Topic: Future of stem cell therapies for PD
RSVP?: Yes, preferred; email Monica Volz, monica.volz@ucsf.edu
Soquel (Santa Cruz County)
Wednesday, 4/6, 1-2:30pm
Guest Speaker #1: Foster Anderson, Shared Adventures
Guest Speaker #2: Theresa Loback-Campbell, AAA
Topic: Travel options for seniors and people with disabilities
RSVP?: No.
Brentwood (new group as of April 2016)
Friday, 4/8, 11am-12:30pm
Program: Potluck lunch followed by Mike Meredith, Concord, who has been
attending Rock Steady Boxing San Francisco classes
RSVP?: Yes, required. Call Sue Schnittker, phone 925-550-2756
Redding
Friday, 4/8, 1-3:30pm (guest speakers begin at 1pm)
Guest Speaker #1: Janet Chance, MD, neurologist, Newport Beach
Topic #2: Living well with Parkinson’s
Guest Speaker #2: Lonnie Kompelien, sales operations, Global Kinetics
Corporation
Topic #2: Parkinson’s KinetiGraph (PKG) watch
RSVP?: No.
Note: Annual Parkinson’s Conference has been cancelled
Fresno
Saturday, 4/9, 10am-noon
Guest Speaker: Matthew Norton, DC, chiropractor, Norton Chiropractic
Wellness Center, Fresno
Topic: How chiropractic care can benefit PD patients
RSVP?: No.
Bakersfield (Kern County)
Tuesday, 4/12, 2-4pm
Guest Speaker: Steven Jelmini, DPT, physical therapist, Glinn &
Giordano Physical Therapy, Bakersfield
Topics: BIG and LOUD therapy for PD patients
RSVP?: No.
Pacific Grove (Monterey County)
Tuesday, 4/12, 3-4:30pm
Program: Divide into two groups — people with Parkinson’s and care
partners
RSVP?: No.
Palo Alto YOPD (Young Onset Parkinson’s Disease)
Tuesday, 4/12, 6:30-8pm
Guest Speaker: Rohit Dhall, MD, movement disorder specialist, The
Parkinson’s Institute, Sunnyvale
Topics: New and experimental therapies at The Parkinson’s Institute
RSVP?: Yes, requested if this is your first time attending meeting.
Contact group leader Martha Gardner, mgapda@gmail.com, at least a day
before meeting.
Turlock
Wednesday, 4/13, 1-2pm
Guest Speakers: Sarah Cordoza, OT and Cheryl Beauchamp, OT,
occupational therapists, Brandel Manor, Turlock
RSVP?: No.
Palo Alto/Avenidas
Wednesday, 4/13, 2-3:30pm
Guest Speakers: Libby Hagman, RN, clinical outreach, and Anthony
Lupian, LCSW, Transitions program, Mission Hospice and Home Care, San Mateo
Topics: Palliative care, hospice at home, and hospice house – what
services are recommended for PD and what’s new
RSVP?: No.
Millbrae/Magnolia
Thursday, 4/14, 1:30-3pm
Guest Speaker: Sherry Plembeck, director of marketing, The Magnolia,
Millbrae
Topic: Senior living options
RSVP?: No.
Stockton
Thursday, 4/14, 1:30-3pm
Guest Speaker: Bing Hui, director, Tai Chi Institute of Stockton
Topic: Benefits of tai chi
RSVP?: No.
Walnut Creek (Mt. Diablo)
Saturday, 4/16, 9am-noon (guest speakers 10:45am-noon)
Program: Panel discussion on DBS (deep brain stimulation), moderated by
Art Fowler, and short video.
RSVP?: No.
Lincoln
Tuesday, 4/19, 10-11am
New meeting location: Granite Springs Community Church, 1170 E. Joiner
Parkway
Guest Speaker: Susan Feldman, community relations, BrightStar Care,
Roseville
Topic: Expanded care options
RSVP?: No.
Auburn
Tuesday, 4/19, 1:30-3pm
Guests: Joe Burger, Parkinson’s patient, Napa, and his service dog Zoie
Topic: Joe’s story and how, through trial and error, to train a service dog
RSVP?: No.
San Jose/Villages
Tuesday, 4/19, 2-3:30pm
Guest Speaker: Fahd Kahn, MD, neurosurgeon, California Neurological
Institute, San Jose
Topic: New, faster approach for DBS (deep brain stimulation)
RSVP?: Yes, required, if you are not a resident of The Villages. Call
group leader Alice Pratte, 408-223-8033, well in advance of meeting as
your name must be put on a list of those authorized to enter this gated
community.
Sunnyvale DBS (Deep Brain Stimulation)
Wednesday, 4/20, 1:30-3:30pm
Program: Watch Parkinson’s Disease Foundation webinar recording of
“Nutrition and PD,” Heather Zwickey, PhD, immunologist, National College
of Natural Medicine, Portland
RSVP?: No.
Modesto
Wednesday, 4/20, 1:30-3:30pm
Guest Speaker: Rita Gandhy, MD, movement disorder specialist, The
Parkinson’s Institute, Sunnyvale
Topic: Latest PD treatments and what’s in the pipeline at The
Parkinson’s Institute
RSVP?: No.
Sacramento Post-DBS (Deep Brain Stimulation)/UC Davis
Wednesday, 4/20, 2:30-4:30pm
Guest Speaker: George Johnston, author of “The Unexpected Journey”
Topic: Life Post-DBS
RSVP?: Yes, required. RSVP to Karla Lindstrom, UC Davis, phone
916-734-6282, email karla.lindstrom@ucdmc.ucdavis.
Merced
Thursday, 4/21 10am-noon
Annual Parkinson’s Symposium
Guest Speaker: Rita Gandhy, MD, movement disorder specialist, The
Parkinson’s Institute, Sunnyvale
RSVP?: Yes, preferred. Call Mission Gardens, phone 209-384-3300
Davis
Thursday, 4/21, 1:30-3pm
Guest Speaker: Katie Conklin, RDH, president, Oral Health Awareness
Society, Stockton
Topic: Adult oral health and its vital connection to healthy life,
especially for people with PD
RSVP?: No.
Fremont
Monday, 4/25, 7-9:30pm
Program: One discussion topic – participation in Moving Day Silicon Valley
RSVP?: No.