Many Northern and Central California Parkinson’s Disease (PD) support groups have a guest speaker or program planned for November 2017. Here’s what’s happening at a support group near you…
Note that one group has changed location though the meeting day/time remains the same: the Palo Alto group now meets in Menlo Park at Little House.
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 a guest speaker or
specific program, the group doesn’t have its regular meeting this month,
the group has a social event, or that the guest speaker info didn’t
arrive from the group in time to be added here. It might mean that the
group meeting (example – Mill Valley) is too close to Thanksgiving so
the group meeting has been pushed to December. 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! (See the link above for the group leader’s contact info.)
Stay warm,
Robin Riddle
**********************
Soquel (Santa Cruz County)
Wednesday, 11/1, 1-2:30pm
Guest Speaker: Helen Garvy, group member
Topic: Cannabis (medical marijuana) for PD
RSVP?: No.
Brentwood
Wednesday, 11/1, 6:30-8pm
Guest Speaker #1: Keith Harband, NewEnamal.com
Topic #1: Oral health and lessening dry mouth
Guest Speaker #2: Group member
Topic #2: Essential oils
Program #3: Video on PD and occupational therapy from Parkinson’s
Disease Care New York
RSVP?: No.
San Lorenzo
Thursday, 11/2, 10-11:30am
Guest Speaker: Carol Evans, nurse practitioner (retired)
RSVP?: No.
San Jose/Willow Glen
Friday, 11/3, 10am-noon
Guest Speaker: Dedra Jize
Topic: Life care planning
RSVP?: No.
Half Moon Bay
Friday, 11/3, 1-2pm
Guest Speaker: Christina Howard, DPT, physical therapist, Sequoia Hospital
Topic: LSVT BIG
RSVP?: No.
Santa Rosa (Sonoma County)
Saturday, 11/4, 1-3:15pm (guest speaker 1-2pm)
Guest Speaker: Paul Larson, MD, neurosurgeon, UCSF
Topic: Surgical treatments for PD (other than DBS)
RSVP?: No.
Lodi
Monday, 11/6, 10-11am
Guest Speakers: Karen Fabreo-Hittle, PT and Teresa Lohr, PT, physical
therapists, O’Connor Woods, Stockton
Topic: LSVT BIG
RSVP?: No.
San Andreas (Calaveras County)
Tuesday, 11/7, 10am-noon
Guest Speaker: Allison Maffei, PT, Fitzpatrick Physical Therapy, Jackson
Topics: Benefits of PT and increasing daily activity on PD
RSVP?: No.
Placerville (El Dorado County)
Tuesday, 11/7, 1:30-3pm
Guest Speaker: Peggy Kline, MFT, family therapist, private practice, Campbell
Topics: Overcoming depression and anxiety using cognitive behavioral therapy
RSVP?: No.
Roseville
Tuesday, 11/7, 1:30-3pm
Guest Speaker: Andrea Rosenblume, certified healthcare advocate
Topic: Advocacy for the PD patient – helping navigate complex
healthcare systems to achieve the highest quality of care
RSVP?: No.
Turlock
Wednesday, 11/8, 1-2pm
Program: Make goodie bags for the homeless
RSPV?: No.
Menlo Park/Little House (New meeting location! No longer at Avenidas
in Palo Alto.)
Wednesday, 11/8, 2-3:30pm
Guest Speaker: Stephanie Happe, corrective exercise specialist, Little
House and Revitalize Integrated Body Systems, Menlo Park
Program: PWR! Parkinson’s-specific exercise demonstration class, seated
or standing
RSVP?: No.
Stockton
Thursday, 11/9, 1:30-3pm
Discussion topic: Advance healthcare directives – Five Wishes, HIPAA,
and POLST
Discussion leaders: Mary Ann Behrens and Christy Carruthers
RSVP?: No.
Millbrae/Magnolia
Thursday, 11/9, 1:30-3pm
Guest Speaker: Kathleen Poston, MD, movement disorders specialist, Stanford
Topic: Mind, memory, and mood
RSVP?: No.
San Francisco/Deep Brain Stimulation Group
Thursday, 11/9, 6-8pm
Program: “Keeping your balance – caring for mind and body with PD”
video by Partners in Parkinson’s
RSVP?: Yes, preferred to Monica Volz
Redding
Friday, 11/10, 1-3:30pm
Guest Speaker: Brandon Behringer, Rock Steady Boxing, Redding
Topic: Rock Steady Boxing for PD
RSVP?: No.
Fresno
Saturday, 11/11, 10am-noon
Guest Speaker: Jeri Williams, MD, movement disorders specialist,
Bakersfield
Topic: Non-motor symptoms of PD (including hallucinations and delusions)
RSVP?: No.
Pleasanton
Saturday, 11/11, 10am-noon
Guest Speaker: Kathleen Poston, MD, movement disorders specialist, Stanford
Topic: Mind and memory
RSVP?: No.
Berkeley
Saturday, 11/11, 10:30am-noon
Guest Speaker: Katie Parafinczuk, DPT, NCS, physical therapist, Kaiser
Redwood City
Topic: Exercise as medicine – The role of rehabilitation professionals
in helping treat PD
RSVP?: Yes, required to PDActive, 510-479-6119
Fee: $10 (suggested)
Yuba City (Tri-Counties)
Monday, 11/13, 1-2pm
Guest Speaker: Stephanie Fiola, RN, AbbVie
Topic: Treatment option for advance PD
RSVP?: No.
Gilroy
Monday, 11/13, noon-1:30pm
Guest Speaker: Keith Harband, NewEnamel.com
Topic: Oral health and lessening dry mouth
RSVP?: No.
Bakersfield (Kern County)
Tuesday, 11/14, 2-4pm
Guest Speaker: Jeri Williams, MD, movement disorders specialist,
Bakersfield
Topic: New medication update
RSVP?: No.
Union City/Mark Green Sports Center
Tuesday, 11/14, 2:45-4pm
Guest Speaker: Jaya Faye Paley
Topic: Pole Walking for exercise, balance, maintaining mobility and
independence
RSVP?: No.
Pacific Grove (Monterey County)
Tuesday, 11/14, 3-4:30pm
Program: Potluck
Guest Speaker: Trina Frometa, Dance for PD
RSVP?: No.
Palo Alto Young Onset Parkinson’s
Tuesday, 11/14, 6:30-8pm
Guest Speaker: Neng Huang, MD, PhD, movement disorder specialist, Valley Parkinson Clinic, Los Gatos
Topic: Updates on PD treatments – medications and surgical options
RSVP?: Yes, if this is your first time attending. Please RSVSP to
Martha Gardner, group leader, mgapda@gmail.com, at least one day in advance
Modesto
Wednesday, 11/15, 1:30-3:30pm
Guest Speaker: Tamyra Ruzicka, SLP, speech therapist
Topic: LSVT speech therapy
RSVP?: No.
Merced
Thursday, 11/16, 10am-noon
Guest Speaker: Janelle Beckman, SLP, speech therapist
Topics: Speech therapy
RSVP?: No.
Walnut Creek (Mt. Diablo)
Saturday, 11/18, 9am-noon (speaker 10:45am-11:45am)
Guest Speaker: Susan O’Grady, PhD, psychologist, private practice
Topic: Finding emotional balance when dealing with difficult feelings –
communication tools and mindfulness practices
RSVP?: No.
Sacramento Post-Deep Brain Stimulation/Kaiser
Wednesday, 11/20, 10am-noon
Topic: Behavioral concerns
RSVP?: Yes, preferred. Call Kaiser Sacramento Neuroscience, 916-973-6860
Auburn
Tuesday, 11/21, 1:30-3pm
Guest Speaker: Felicia Juntunen, care manager, Elder Care Management of
Northern California
Topic: Advanced healthcare directives
RSVP?: No.