In late March, the organization Help for Alzheimer’s Families offered a webinar on caring for someone with frontotemporal dementia (FTD). Our summary of this webinar focuses on the movement disorder variants of FTD: corticobasal syndrome (CBS) and progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP).  The speakers included Matthew Sharp and Deena Chisholm from the Association of Frontotemporal Degeneration (AFTD). They discussed how FTD differs from other types of dementia; signs and symptoms of FTD; and what resources are available for families.  We at Stanford Parkinson's Community Outreach viewed the webinar and are sharing our notes.  

In early April, the Davis Phinney Foundation offered a webinar on pain and Parkinson’s disease (PD), featuring Dr. Janis Miyasaki. She discussed how common pain can be in those with PD and the different types of pain that may be experienced; what can cause pain in early stage PD, how this may change as the disease progresses, and how pain impacts mental health; treatment options; and other steps you can take to manage pain in PD. There was also an extensive Question and Answer session. We at Stanford Parkinson's Community Outreach listened to the webinar and are sharing our notes.  

In late March, the Parkinson Society of British Columbia (BC) offered a webinar on ambiguous loss and anticipatory grief, featuring Trevor Josephson, a clinical counselor. He defined the terms ambiguous loss and anticipatory grief, shared examples from real life (with permission from the subjects), and provided recommendations for how to cope with and manage these feelings for care partners of those with Parkinson’s disease (PD). We at Stanford Parkinson's Community Outreach listened to the webinar and are sharing our notes.  

On April 1st, Parkinson & Movement Disorder Alliance presented a webinar called “Practicing Wellness to Build Resilience.”  The speaker, Julia Alleyne, MD, defines resilience as finding our own inner strength to deal with discomfort, distress, and uncertainty, when we are unsure what the outcome will be.  This webinar focuses on the connection between resilience and physical health.   Though almost none of the webinar was PD-specific, we at Stanford Parkinson's Community Outreach attended the webinar as we thought the topic of resilience was worthwhile.  Here, we are sharing our notes from the webinar.

The Parkinson Association of the Rockies occasionally offers a webinar for those who are newly diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease (PD) or are just beginning to learn about the disorder.  The speakers are the same each time -- a social worker, a woman with PD, and the woman's husband/caregiver.  We at Stanford Parkinson's Community Outreach attended a recent webinar (early April) and are sharing our notes here.

In early April, the UCSF Memory and Aging Center (MAC) offered a webinar on managing daily activities and fall prevention as part of its ongoing webinar series on Lewy body dementia (LBD). While the webinar was geared towards those with LBD, we felt the content would also be helpful for others with cognitive impairment or Parkinson’s disease dementia. The speakers were Sarah Dulaney, a Clinical Nurse Specialist with UCSF, and Helen Medsger, a family caregiver, advocate, and support group leader. They discussed the importance of establishing a daily routine and how to go about developing one and provided ideas for activities, fall prevention, and communication strategies. We at Stanford Parkinson’s Community Outreach listened to the webinar and are sharing our notes.  

Join a free national webinar, hosted by the American Parkinson Disease Association (APDA)-Northwest Chapter, on Friday, May 8, from 10:30-11:30am. The program is designed for those living with or caring for someone with Parkinson’s and will help participants understand treatment concerns for Parkinson’s disease (PD).  

In mid-March, the UCSF Memory and Aging Center presented a webinar on behavior and mood symptoms in Lewy body dementia (LBD), as part of their ongoing Lewy Body Dementia Caregiver Webinar Series. The speaker was Jennifer Merrilees, RN, PhD, a Clinical Nurse Specialist at the UCSF Memory and Aging Center. She discussed the common behavioral and mood symptoms that characterize LBD; how brain anatomy and neurotransmitters impact mood and behavior; and ways to manage common behaviors, mainly through non-pharmacologic methods. The webinar included a question and answer session. We at Stanford Parkinson's Community Outreach listened to the webinar and are sharing our notes.  

Helen Bronte-Stewart, MD, MSE, Director, Stanford Movement Disorders Center, will participate in a Virtual Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) Forum on Wednesday, April 22, from 11:00am-12:30pm. In this webinar, you will learn the what, when, why, how, and more of DBS from movement disorder specialists who recommend it, surgeons who perform it, companies that make the devices, and someone who has been living with it for over 10 years. The event is free, but pre-registration is required.