In early May, the Parkinson’s Foundation presented a webinar on a genetic testing initiative called PD GENEration, featuring Dr. Martha Nance. She discussed the relevance of genetics for those with Parkinson’s disease (PD), provided an overview of the PD GENEration study, and summarized what we have learned from the initiative so far and what we hope to learn in the future. We at Stanford Parkinson’s Community Outreach viewed the webinar and are sharing our notes.  

In early May, the UCSF Memory and Aging Center (MAC) presented the fifth and final webinar in its series on caregiving for those with Lewy body dementia (LBD), a discussion of advanced-stage and end-of-life care topics. While the webinar was geared towards those caring for individuals with LBD, we felt the content would also be helpful for others with cognitive impairment or Parkinson’s disease dementia. The speaker was Maya Katz, MD, a movement disorders specialist with the UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences. She covered what caregiving is like in advanced LBD, end-of-life care, indicators of the individual’s prognosis, and advance care planning. We at Stanford Parkinson’s Community Outreach viewed the webinar and are sharing our notes.

In early April, the Parkinson’s Foundation offered a Facebook Live presentation on hospitalization and Parkinson’s disease (PD), featuring Dr. Michael Okun, a movement disorders specialist at the University of. He answered questions about PD and hospitalization, provided tips about what to do if you or your loved one with PD is hospitalized, and discussed how to get the best care possible during an anticipated or emergency hospital stay. We at Stanford Parkinson’s Community Outreach viewed the webinar and are sharing our notes.  

Brent Bluett, DO, Stanford Movement Disorder Specialist, will discuss “The Status of Research in PD: Is There Hope?” online on Tuesday, June 2, beginning at 3:00pm Pacific Time. The event is free, but pre-registration is required.

In late April, the UCSF Memory and Aging Center (MAC) presented the fourth webinar in its series on caregiving for those with Lewy body dementia (LBD). The topic was how to be an advocate for your loved one with LBD in both a healthcare setting and a community setting. 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, Clinical Nurse Specialist with the MAC, and Helen Medsger, an LBD family caregiver, advocate, and support group leader. We at Stanford Parkinson’s Community Outreach viewed the webinar and are sharing our notes.