Upcoming Events
All Online by Zoom
Dance Classes
Donations are welcome and encouraged.
See the last page of this Newsletter for more information.
Parkinson's Dance with Brigid & Torri
2nd & 3rd Thursday of November
November 12, 2020 1:00-2:00 PM
Join our Cloud HD Video Meeting
Password: 882 9673 0649
November 19, 2020 1:00-3:00 PM
Join our Cloud HD Video Meeting
Password: 891 6316 0575
Dance with Torri & Brigid —MDT
Every Tuesday in November 1-2 pm
Join our Cloud HD Video Meeting
Women with Parkinson’s:
All women with PD are welcome to join
November 18: 12:30-2 pm
12:30-2:00 pm
Join Zoom Meeting: https://pmdalliance.zoom.us/j/937547542
Password: 357912
Caregiver Support Groups
See website for days/times/contact information
parkinsonsonomacounty.org
December Monthly Meeting
Date: December12, 2020 1:00-3:00 PM
Speaker: Coping Strategies for Holidays and Winter Blues
To all in our PSGSC Family,
This has been a very trying time for Napa and Sonoma Counties. We have had very high temperatures, fires, 30 days of Spare-the-Air, and PGE shutoffs. Many of us have been evacuated, more than once. All of this is traumatizing, especially on top of the isolation of the pandemic and the stress of Election season.
We feel very strongly that we need to be together—see each other on Zoom Meetings, take an exercise class or join a support group. These opportunities to socialize, learn something, warm up our bodies are so important to our well-being. Please look at our offerings and find a way to join us. Let us know if you are having trouble joining. There is assistance available through PANC.
Take care of yourself and those you love. This is a time to be open-hearted and caring about ourselves, our animals and our environments. We will get through this and arrive at our new normal. ’Til then, we look forward to seeing you on-line soon.
Nancy Wilson
PSGSC President, 2020
PANC 10/24/20 Conference Report
By Marc Alexander
Every Fall the Parkinson Association of Northern California holds a Conference. This year the PANC Conference was held virtually. Rather than ending with questions, the meeting started with questions that people had sent in advance. Dr. Suketu Khandhar, the director of Kaiser’s Northern California Parkinson program, as well as one of the best received speakers we have ever had, answered each one in a comprehensive and clear manner. For those of you that did not attend, I will report a few highlights that struck me.
- Patients and their caregivers should come to appointments with their neurologist prepared with a list of their three most troubling symptoms (as well as a list of medications) that they would like addressed at that visit.
- In the last year alone, there have been many new medications, and in the last five years there have been two additional companies that have gotten FDA approval for new deep brain stimulation devises.
- There are no medications for freezing of gait. These are best treated with visual cues that a physical therapist can teach.
- If you need general anesthesia for surgery, you should be aware that when you recover from the anesthetic, it might take you a little longer to regain movement.
- Restless leg syndrome (having RLS does not mean you have PD—although, if you have PD, you are more likely to have RLS) can be caused by low iron levels.
- Exercise has more evidence than anything else to slow the progression of dementia.
Later, there were two panels moderated by Norika Malhado-Chang, a Movement Disorders Specialist from UC Davis. She emphasized multi-discipline care. As the complexities of PD have become apparent, the advantages of a team approach have become clearer. Her first panel consisted of a Physical Therapist, a Care Partner, a Movement Disorders Specialist, a Geriatric Psychiatrist, a Dietitian, a Social Worker, and a Speech Therapist. The final panel featured three Movement Disorders Specialists from different institutions addressing how they would treat motor complications in a case study.
Note: PANC will have a recording of this conference available on its website (panctoday.org) in January, 2021.
Clinical Trials
Here is a clinical study that can be done from home:
The “PD GENEration” study is an initiative that offers genetic testing and counseling via telemedicine at no cost for people with Parkinson’s disease. To get started go to https://www.parkinson.org/PDGENEration?enroll=enable
This study is sponsored by the Parkinson’s Foundation, and I recommend it for our membership.
Marc Alexander
PSGSC Board, VP & Clinical Trials
November is National Family Caregiver Appreciation Month
care·part·ner
(noun)
- An agreement between a person with a chronic condition and their loved ones.
- To help each other with health, wellness, and caring for each other.
At the very core of this concept is a reminder that this relationship truly is a partnership and a family endeavor. Caring deeply for someone with a movement disorder is to shoulder the challenges together, out of love not obligation.
As we celebrate Caregivers this November, we want to direct you to some resources to help you on this journey. Programs designed specifically to celebrate your courage, honor your commitment, and to provide you with education as well as meaningful tools and connection. Please visit our website at: parkinsonsonomacounty.org and look for Caregiver Information under Resources.
Especially check these sites for many webinars about caregiving:
https://parkinsonsblog.stanford.edu/category/pd-webinars/
https://parkinsonsblog.stanford.edu/category/caregiving-webinars/
REMINDER
Our October Monthly Meeting Speakers: Dr. Steve Blake & Catherine Blake presented an informative talk on Food and Nutrition for Parkinson's Disease. The video of their talk is on our website (parkinsonsonomacounty.org)
under the tab Meetings: Guest Speaker Recordings.
This note is just a reminder that any dietary changes you make should be discussed with your doctor first. Each person is unique and your nutritional needs should always be assessed by a doctor who knows your medical history.
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Virtual Donation Jar
We hope you will continue to support PSGSC and its programs during this time of separation.
*Make a donation as you would at Monthly Meetings, or Classes.
*Make a donation in honor of a person you know who is living
with Parkinson’s.
*Make a donation in Memory of a beloved family member or friend.
Please send your check to:
PSGSC c/o Judy Deas, Treasurer
456 Hidden Acres Road
Healdsburg, CA 95448
Thank you.
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