Many Northern and Central California Parkinson’s Disease (PD) support groups have meetings in February.  Plus there’s a Parkinson’s Summit in Fresno.  See the list below…

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?  Most likely it means that the group is having an open discussion (so no speaker or special program).  It might 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.)

Best,
Robin Riddle
parkinsons.stanford.edu

**********************

San Andreas (Calaveras, Amador, and Tuolomne Counties)
Tuesday, 2/4, 10am-noon 
Guest Speaker:  Tim Johnson, hospice chaplain
RSVP?:  No.

Placerville
Tuesday, 2/4, 1:30-3pm
Program:  “Pain in PD” webinar from January 2017 (hosted by Parkinson’s Foundation)
RSVP?:  No.

Roseville
Tuesday, 2/4, 1:30-3pm
Guest Speaker:  Cassandra Ward, SLP, speech therapist, Sutter
Topic:  Parkinson’s cognitive therapy
RSVP?:  No.

San Francisco YOPD (Young Onset PD)/UCSF
Tuesday, 2/4, 6:30-8pm
Guest Speaker:  Rafael Zuzuarregui, MD, movement disorder specialist, UCSF
Topic:  Sleep and PD
RSVP?:  Yes, to Monica Volz

Soquel (Santa Cruz County)
Wednesday, 2/5, 2-3:30pm  
Guest Speaker:  Carol Clupny, Davis Phinney Foundation ambassador
Topic:  Adventures traveling and exercising around the world with Parkinson’s
RSVP?:  No.

Brentwood
Wednesday, 2/5, 6:30-8pm
Guest Speaker:  Andrew Ramirez, PT, physical therapist, Kaiser Deer Valley
RSVP?:  No.

San Jose – Willow Glen
Friday, 2/7, 10am-noon  (program begins about 10:15am)
Guest Speaker:  Carol Clupny, author of “The Ribbon of Road Ahead: One Woman’s Remarkable Journey with Parkinson’s Disease”
RSVP?:  No.

Visalia
Friday, 2/7, 10:30am-noon
Guest Speaker:  Ron Hernandez, Acorda Therapeutics
Topic:  New off-time medication
RSVP?:  No.

Benicia
Saturday, 2/8, 10am-noon
Guest Speaker:  Aaron Daley, UCSF
Topic:  PD and PD Caregivers
RSVP?:  No.

Clovis (Greater Fresno)
Saturday, 2/8, 10am-noon
Guest Speaker:  Adam Schwerz, DeOro Devices
Topic:  Device to be used with cane or walker to prevent freezing of gait
RSVP?:  No.

Pleasanton
Saturday, 2/8, 10am-noon
Guest Speaker:  Salima Brillman, MD
Topic:  PD and the management of off-episodes
RSVP?:  No.

Santa Rosa (Sonoma County)
Saturday, 2/8, 1-3:15pm  (speaker from 1-2pm)
Guest Speaker:  George Triadafilopoulos, MD, gastroenterologist
Topic:  Relationship between PD and the gut
RSVP?:  No.

Gilroy
Monday, 2/10, 1:30-2:40pm
Guest Speaker:  Representative from Sourcewise
Topic:  Medicare
RSVP?:  No.

Auburn
Tuesday, 2/11, 11:30am (lunch meeting)
Guest Speaker:  Gerred Popejoy
Topic:  Nordic pole walking for PD
RSVP?:  No.

El Dorado Hills
Tuesday, 2/11, noon-2pm
Guest Speaker:  Lori Sporrer, California Relay Service
Topic:  Options for people with speech difficulties to communicate by phone
RSVP?:  No.

Pacific Grove (Monterey County)
Tuesday, 2/11, 3-4:30pm
Guest Speaker:  Carol Clupny, author, “The Ribbon of Road Ahead: One Woman’s Remarkable Journey with Parkinson’s Disease”
RSVP?:  No.

Palo Alto/Channing House  (new meeting location since October)
Wednesday, 2/12, 2:30-4pm
Guest Speaker:  Emmanuel During, MD, neurologist and sleep specialist, Stanford
Topics:  Sleep issues in PD, including RBD (REM sleep behavior disorder) 
Note:  See blog post on event
RSVP?:  No.

Sacramento/Natomas
Thursday, 2/13, 10am-noon
Guest Speaker:  Cathy Morris, community health program supervisor, Trauma Prevention Program, UC Davis
Topics:  Fall prevention and sample exercises
RSVP?:  No.

Morro Bay/Los Osos
Thursday, 2/13, 10-11:30am
Guest Speaker:  Carol Clupny, author, “The Ribbon of Road Ahead”
RSVP?:  No.

Stockton
Thursday, 2/13, 1:30-3pm
Program:  Using “Five Wishes” to create an advance care directive
RSVP?:  No.

Redding
Friday, 2/14, 1-3:30pm
Guest Speaker:  Jerrod Sieberg, senior driver ombudsman, DMV
Topics:  Re-examination, driving with medical conditions, REAL ID, etc.
RSVP?  No.

Walnut Creek 
Saturday, 2/15, 9am-noon  (speaker begins about 10:45am)
Guest Speaker:  Stephen Hall, MD, psychiatrist, UCSF
Topic:  Hallucinations and delusions in PD
RSVP?:  No.

Elk Grove
Wednesday, 2/19, 10-11:30am
Guest Speaker:  Eric Egli, PhD, clinical psychologist
Topics:  Depression and anxiety
RSVP?:  No.

Merced
Wednesday, 2/19, 10am-noon
Guest Speakers:  Kristen Karakus, SLP and Rabab Rangwala, SLP, speech therapists
Topics:  Voice and swallowing management
RSVP?:  No.

Modesto
Wednesday, 2/19, 1:30-3:30pm
Guest Speaker:  Vance Roget, MD, medical director, Encompass Health Acute Rehabilitation Hospital
Topics:  General conditioning and common occurrence of dementia in PD
RSVP?:  No.

Sacramento Post-DBS (Deep Brain Stimulation)/Sutter
Wednesday, 2/19, 2:30-4:30pm
Topic:  Non-motor symptoms
RSVP?:  Yes, preferred to Linda Ramatowski, NP, Sutter, phone 916-454-6936, mailbox 46936

Davis
Thursday, 2/20, 1:30-3pm
Guest Speaker:  Gerred Popejoy
Topic:  Nordic pole walking as a stabilizer and body strengthener
RSVP?:  No.

Fresno Parkinson’s Summit
Saturday, 2/22, 9am-2:30pm
Agenda:  See link at parkinson.org/fresno
Note:  Event is free.  If questions, contact Sarah Osborne, Parkinson’s Foundation, 661-360-5544
RSVP?:  Yes, online registration is required.

Napa Young Onset PD (open to any age)
Sunday, 2/23, 3-5pm (guest speaker 4-5pm)
Guest Speaker:  Gerred Popejoy
Topic:  Using walking sticks for fall prevention
RSVP?:  No.

Fremont
Monday, 2/24, 6:30-8pm
Guest Speaker:  Michael Galvin, Community Resources for Independent Living (CRIL) Hayward
Topic:  Devices and resources to make everyday living easier with PD
RSVP?:  No.

Mill Valley (Marin County)
Friday, 2/28, 1-3pm (guest speaker 1-2pm)
Guest Speaker:  Doris Wang, MD, neurosurgeon, UCSF
Topic:  Deep brain stimulation
RSVP?:  No.

If you know of a PD support group meeting with a guest speaker, please pass the info along!

Finally….if you copy this guest speaker information elsewhere, please give credit to:  Robin Riddle, Stanford Parkinson’s Community Outreach Program.  Credit is always appreciated.