Parkinson Social Network
Just a reminder that all in-person support events have been suspended due to the COVID-19 /Coronavirus pandemic. To support our Parkinson’s community, PSN offers three online (via Zoom) support options each month:
Caregiver’s Support Group via Zoom*
Tuesday, May 10
10:00am-11:30am ET
May’s Topic:
Watch & Discuss: Sights, Sounds and Parkinson’s
Parkinson’s Foundation Expert Briefings (Recorded – 2022)
Join us as we watch the Parkinson’s Foundation recording of Dr. Hamedani’s presentation. After we watch the recording, we will discuss the video presentation.
From the Parkinson’s Foundation YouTube description: As we grow older, it is normal to experience age-related vision and hearing changes. However, for people with Parkinson’s disease (PD), difficulties related to the eyes and vision as well as hearing loss often progress alongside other PD symptoms. Learn more about how changes in vision, hearing as well as other senses including taste and smell impact people with Parkinson’s and how to cope with these changes.
Speaker: Ali G. Hamedani, MD, MHS, Assistant Professor of Neurology Divisions of Neuro-Ophthalmology and Movement Disorders Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania
Click here to register for the Caregiver’s Support Group meeting
Online Café
Wednesday, May 18
10:00am-11:30am ET
Miscommunication or Missed Communication?
The Challenges of Hearing Loss
Bonnie O’Leary, Certified Peer Mentor and the Outreach Manager for the Northern Virginia Resource Center for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Persons (NVRC)
This presentation will include basic information about deafness and hearing loss, limitations of hearing aids and cochlear implants, accessibility options including apps that can be helpful, and effective communication environments and strategies. Hearing loss has an impact not only on those who struggle with it but on everyone in the relationship.
Bonnie O’Leary is a Certified Peer Mentor and the Outreach Manager for the Northern Virginia Resource Center for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Persons (NVRC) where she has been providing services to adults aging into hearing loss. since 2001. She also provides trainings for emergency responders, healthcare professionals and caregivers, agency staff, and other organizations where hearing loss presents a challenge to communication. Bonnie created a 3-part program, “I Can’t Hear You!”, which won a Distinguished Partner award from Fairfax County’s Neighborhood and Community Services. A late-deafened adult, she shares a lot of her own experiences in her outreach work.
People with Parkinson’s
Side by Side Support Group via Zoom*
Tuesday, May 24
10:00am-11:30am ET
May’s Presentation:
Making the Most of Your [Many] Medications
Managing medications is not an easy task, especially for people with Parkinson’s disease and their care partners. Dr. Peron will share strategies to help take the guesswork out of managing complex medication regimens and maximize the time spent with members of your medical team, including your pharmacist. Although she cannot offer individual treatment recommendations, Dr. Peron is always happy to provide referrals and resources. She encourages audience members to ask questions and share their insights for the benefit of the group.
Emily P. Peron, PharmD, MS, is an Associate Professor at Virginia Commonwealth University School of Pharmacy. Dr. Peron attended a training program for pharmacists interested in Parkinson’s disease in 2009, identified a drug-induced tremor in her grandfather in 2010, and has been working with individuals with movement disorders ever since. Dr. Peron earned her Doctor of Pharmacy from Butler University and completed clinical residency training in geriatrics at the Cleveland VA Medical Center. She went on to earn her Master of Science in Clinical Research while completing a research fellowship at the University of Pittsburgh. She currently serves as a consultant for the VCU Health Parkinson’s and Movement Disorders Center and is a member of the Parkinson’s Foundation Aware in Care Committee.
Click here to register for the
People with Parkinson’s Disease Support Group
*Online Support Groups Sponsored by:
Did You Know?
We are Here to Help!
Are you searching for a resource or more information about Parkinson’s?
Parkinson Social Network volunteers can help! Call our office at 571-286-5000 or send us email at board@parkinsonsocialnetwork.org
Parkinson Social Network is a 501(c)3 tax exempt organization. With no paid staff, we are a volunteer led organization with each volunteer having a personal connection to Parkinson’s disease.
Parkinson Social Network 