

Many Northern and Central California Parkinson’s Disease (PD) support groups meetings have speakers or discussion programs planned in November 2018. There is a new PD support group in Sacramento’s Natomas community. And there are two groups “new” to me listed below — Carmichael YOPD and West Roseville. See the list below of what’s happening 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 there’s open discussion at the meeting. Only meetings with guest speakers or programs are listed here. Or there might be a social event. It could also mean that the guest speaker info didn’t arrive from the group in time to be added here. Or, 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 this list for the group leader’s contact info.)
Happy November,
Robin Riddle
parkinsons.stanford.edu
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San Lorenzo (San Leandro)
Thursday, 11/1, 10-11:30am
Guest Speaker: Ysela Jimenez, community health outreach, Alameda County
Topic: Fall prevention
RSVP?: No.
San Jose/Willow Glen
Friday, 11/2, 10am-noon (program begins about 10:15am)
Program: discussion groups — people with Parkinson’s and caregivers
RSVP?: No.
Visalia
Friday, 11/2, 10:30am-noon
Guest Speaker: Aubrey Lim, Five Microns
Topic: Tremor-reducing device
RSVP?: No.
Santa Rosa (Sonoma County)
Saturday, 11/3, 1-3:15pm (guest speaker 1-2pm)
Guest Speaker: Carrolee Barlow, CEO, The Parkinson’s Institute
Topic: GI issues in PD
RSVP?: No.
Lodi
Monday, 11/5, 10am-noon
Guest Speaker: Colleen Fischer, Parkinson’s Foundation
RSVP?: No.
Placerville
Tuesday, 11/6, 1:30-3pm
Guest Speaker: Rose Firestone and Judith Prince, group members
Program: Chair exercises
RSVP?: No.
Roseville
Tuesday, 11/6, 1:30-3pm
Guest Speaker: Cassandra Ward, clinical psychologist and speech therapist
Topic: Communicating better with your PD partner
RSVP?: No.
San Francisco YOPD (Young Onset Parkinson’s Disease)/UCSF
Tuesday, 11/6, 6:30-8pm
Guest Speaker: Paul Larson, MD, neurosurgeon, UCSF
Topic: Update on gene therapy for PD
RSVP?: Yes, preferred to Monica Volz
Soquel (Santa Cruz County)
Wednesday, 11/7, 2-3:30pm
Guest Speaker: Dr. Emmanuel Rohani, pharmacist, Rite Aid
Topic: Holistic approach to PD with an emphasis on diet, exercise, and
medication
RSVP?: No.
Brentwood
Wednesday, 11/7, 6:30-8pm
Guest Speaker: Kendra Stelzer, Boston Scientific
Topic: Deep brain stimulation
RSVP?: No.
Carmichael Young Onset Parkinson’s (YOPD)
Wednesday, 11/7, 6:30-8pm
Guest Speaker: Kevin Quinn, Warrior Fit, Rancho Cordova
Topic: Rock steady boxing
RSVP?: No.
Sacramento/Natomas
Thursday, 11/8, 10am-noon
Program: First meeting of this group. Organizational meeting.
RSVP?: No.
Sonoma/Vintage House
Thursday, 11/8, 10-11am
Guest Speaker: Ali Stoddard, cannabis health and wellness consultant,
Green Ally, Lafayette
Topic: Cannabis for seniors – how and why, without the ‘high’
RSVP?: No.
Stockton
Thursday, 11/8, 1:30-3pm
Program: Two discussion groups – Parkies and caregivers
RSVP?: No.
San Francisco Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS)/UCSF
Thursday, 11/8, 6-8pm
Program: Question-and-answer with Monica Volz, RN, and Lee Schwager, a
DBS patient
RSVP?: Yes, preferred to Monica Volz
Redding
Friday, 11/9, 1-3:30pm (speakers begin about 1:30pm)
Guest Speaker #1: Emily DeFlippo, outpatient director, Vibra Healthcare
Topic #1: Update on the movement disorder specialist telemedicine program
Guest Speaker #2: Registered dietitian, Vibra Healthcare
Topic #2: Diet and PD
RSVP?: No.
Clovis (Greater Fresno)
Saturday, 11/10, 10am-noon
Guest Speaker: Dave Adame, Whitehurst Sullivan Burns & Blair
Topic: Pre-planning your funeral service with your loved ones
RSVP?: No.
Berkeley
Saturday, 11/10, 10:30am-12:30pm
Guest Speaker: Rima Ash, MD, movement disorder specialist, Kaiser SF
Topic: Navigating PD – current and future treatments
RSVP?: Recommended
Gilroy
Monday, 11/12, 1:30-2:40pm
Guest Speaker: Zepure Kouyoumdjian, DO, South Valley Neurology
RSVP?: No.
Union City/Mark Green Sports Center
Tuesday, 11/13, 2:45-4pm
Guest Speaker: Robert Magbanua, PWR! and RSB instructor, Union City
Topics: Safety and fall prevention while exercising with PD
RSVP?: No.
Pacific Grove (Monterey County)
Tuesday, 11/13, 3-4:30pm
Guest Speaker: Maria Bellumori, PhD, CSUMB Kinesiology
Topics: Exercise and upcoming exercise opportunities
RSVP?: No.
Palo Alto YOPD (Young Onset Parkinson’s Disease)/Stanford
Tuesday, 11/13, 6:30-8pm (guest speaker begins about 6:40pm)
Guest Speaker: Elena Call, MD, movement disorder specialist, Kaiser
Redwood City
Topics: Common cognitive changes and mood issues in PD
RSVP?: No.
Menlo Park/Little House
Wednesday, 11/14, 2-3:30pm
Guest Speaker: Elena Call, MD, movement disorder specialist, Kaiser
Redwood City
Topics: Common cognitive changes, dementia, and mood issues in PD
RSVP?: No.
Walnut Creek (Mt. Diablo)
Saturday, 11/17, 10am-noon (speaker begins at 10:45am)
Guest Speaker: Eloise Theisen, NP, gerontology nurse practitioner,
Green Health Consultants
Topic: Parkinson’s and cannabinoid therapy
RSVP?: No.
Sacramento Post DBS (Deep Brain Stimulation)/Kaiser
Monday, 11/19, 10am-noon
Guest Speaker: Suketu Khandhar, MD, movement disorder specialist,
Kaiser Sacramento
Topic: Update on PD and DBS
RSVP?: Yes, required. Call Kaiser Neuroscience, 916-973-6860
West Roseville – location is TBD
Tuesday, 11/27, 2:30-3:30pm
Guest Speaker: Beverly Chang, MD, geriatric psychiatrist, Geriatric
Psychiatry Direct, Rocklin
Topic: Mental issues affecting the aging population
RSVP?: Contact Jim Morris, 916-359-4859, for location.
Modesto
Wednesday, 11/28, 1:30-3:30pm (different day this month)
Guest Speaker: Carlos Becerra, boxing fighter, Alpha Fitness, Turlock
Topic: His boxing program for PD
RSVP?: No.
Mill Valley (Marin County)
Friday, 11/30, 1-3pm (guest speaker 1-2pm) (different day this month)
Guest Speaker: Denise Young, RN, Hospice by the Bay
Topic: What hospice can do for you
RSVP?: No.