Modifying Your Home: Low Cost to Remodeling w/ Tori Goldhammer
Tuesday, May 13th
10am-11:30am ET (9am CT, 8am MT, 7am PT)

In this presentation, Tori Goldhammer, an occupational therapist with over 25 years experience, will highlight both low cost and remodeling ideas for the home to help improve accessibility, independence and decrease fall risk. Recommendations discussed will include equipment and technology.
Tori Goldhammer, MS, OTR/L, ATP, ECHM, CLCP, Living at Home Consultations, LLC has been an occupational therapist for over 25 years with experience in all clinical settings. She began a community based practice in 2007 with a focus on home accessibility and fall risk mitigation.

Watch & Discuss: Self-Advocacy and Improving Your Parkinson’s Care

Wednesday, May 21st
10am-11:30am ET
(9am CT, 8am MT, 7am PT)

We will be watching together the recording of a Davis Phinney Foundation Live Well Today webinar: Self-Advocacy and Improving Your Parkinson’s Care. This Live Well Today webinar features a panel discussion of how to improve the quality of care you receive while living with Parkinson’s. Topics discussed include self-advocacy, palliative care, how to ensure your care team communicates well with one another, the role nurses can play in helping you live well, and more! After watching the recording, we will have a facilitated discussion of the recording.

ICYMI: In Case You Missed It!

If you missed the presentation: Psychosocial barriers and facilitators associated with Quality of Life for People with Parkinson’s with Dr. Bradley McDaniels, click the play button above to view on our YouTube channel!

Research Study Helps Family Caregivers PERSEVERE

PERSEVERE is a national study funded by the National Institutes of Health, led by Dr. Jori Fleisher at Rush University Medical, which is testing an educational program for family caregivers of people with Parkinson’s Disease who are experiencing changes in memory & thinking. PERSEVERE will test whether a disease-specific, caregiver-centered educational intervention improves caregiver knowledge, confidence, strain, and health outcomes – and whether it helps people living with Parkinson’s Disease, too.

Family caregivers will receive weekly educational guidance through a 12-week curriculum with resources and activities. All participation is virtual and scheduled when it works for you. There are no in-person visits and the person with Parkinson’s does not participate—just caregivers. Caregivers fill out online surveys and assessments at baseline and every two weeks throughout their involvement in the study, including a six-month follow-up period after the 12-week curriculum.

Interested in learning more? Visit https://redcap.link/PERSEVERE1 to watch a video providing more information about the study, hear testimonials from prior PERSEVERE study participants, and complete the screening survey to see if you are eligible.

Happening In Our Parkinson’s Community…

June 21 – Virginia Parkinson’s Conference, in person, Williamsburg VA – Rescheduled due to weather, registration is open.
Kirsten Bodensteiner, PT (who spoke in Oct 2024) & Body Dynamics are now teaching PWR! Moves Tuesdays at 1 pm in Falls Church. To learn more about these classes, click here for the information flyer.
At Ease hosted by PADRECC (online) – Click this link for flyer for more information about the Tactical Humor Training for PADRECC Comedy Brigade, contact Jessica.Kaplan2@va.gov to sign up.
Virginia Lifespan Respite Voucher Program is available for residents of Virginia. Visit the Division for Aging Services site to learn more or apply.
Shenandoah University – Loudoun Campus is offering free SPEAK OUT! speech therapy for those living with Parkinson’s, in-person and virtual. Click here to see their flyer for more information or contact Myra Schatzki, Director of Clinical Education at myra.schatzki@su.edu or 540-665-4634.
Parkinson’s Speech therapy via teletherapy in VA and DC – The University of Utah is a SPEAK OUT! Therapy and Research Center for the state of Virginia and the District of Columbia (DC) providing SPEAK OUT! voice therapy at no cost, contact them at 801-581-3506 or email speechpath@utah.edu.
Power Over Parkinson’s has an extensive listing of programs in the Richmond area for exercise and education, visit their website for more information.
Live in Maryland? MAPS has a very extensive support group listing on their website.
Dance for Parkinson’s program at James Madison University – JMU has in-person and Zoom online classes. For more information about this program, visit their website here.
SPEAK OUT! Online Home practice sessions are available each day at 11am ET/10am CT/9am MT/8am PT from Parkinson Voice Project.
Sign up for PD Avengers TODAY! PD Avengers is the Global Alliance to End Parkinson’s Disease.

GIVE BACK TO THE COMMUNITY – BE A PSN BUDDY^sm

Would you be willing to help a fellow Person-with-Parkinson’s Disease? We hope you will.

Frequently PSN receives inquiries from those newly diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease, as well as people who are not newly diagnosed, seeking to speak with a fellow Parkinsonian on a one-on-one basis.

If you wish to help your fellow Parkinsonians by engaging in a telephone conversation, please let the PSN Board know. With your permission, we will provide your telephone number and email address on request. We will, of course, let you know each time we share this information.

To participate, kindly email board@parkinsonsocialnetwork.org, or call our office at 571-286-5000.