Parkinson Social NetworkWorld Parkinson’s Day – a month later
Can you believe that World Parkinson’s Day was only a month ago today? I subscribe to a newsletter from the EPDA (European Parkinson’s Disease Association) and this morning in their latest issue they reported on the #UniteForParkinsons campaign. Their purpose was to “unite and mobilise the global Parkinson’s community, making a positive difference to the lives of people with Parkinson’s”. Also from their newsletter, here are some of the results:
“• more than 8 million people reached around the world via social media
• nearly 900,000 social media engagements
• nearly 90,000 visits to uniteforparkinsons.org from 199 countries
• nearly 18,000 views of the #UniteForParkinsons promotional film
• more than 17,000 hashtag uses from 97 countries hashtag trending on 11 April.”
(More details on their website at https://uniteforparkinsons.org/)
Very impressive! And exciting to see how the worldwide Parkinson community came together to shine a spotlight on Parkinson’s and increase awareness. In a recent media release by Parkinson’s Australia they wrote, “Parkinson’s Australia is the national peak body and charity representing more than 80,000 Australians living with Parkinson’s. We advocate for the needs of the 800,000 people living with Parkinson’s, their families and carers.” The way I read read this, for every person living with Parkinson’s there are at least 10 people who care about them and want to help them live a happy and fulfilling life. That’s a lot of love and support!
Fun with More Gadgets & Gizmos at Cafe McLean
Michelle Scott, Caregiver Specialist with the Fairfax Area Agency on Aging visited us on Wednesday. You may recall that Michelle visited Cafe Fairfax in April with her wonderful bag full of gadgets and gizmos. I’m working on a page for our website to share them with you and I’ll be sure to let you know when it’s ready. In the meantime, if you have any items that you’ve found helpful, please send me a photo and brief description and I’ll include them. I’ve had some interesting things sent to me already! We also enjoyed a lovely lunch courtesy of the generous folk at Lewinsville Retirement Residence. We hope you can join us at our next Cafe McLean on June 13!
Parkinson’s Foundation – Moving Day® DC – Saturday, June 2
Gary, who leads the support group in Ashburn, forwarded an email to his mailing list from Anna who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s 11 years ago. I’ve included her message below so you can read about the event and her request for sponsorship for her Rock Steady Boxing NoVa team. There’s more on her team webpage here.
We share a wide variety of resources from Parkinson’s Foundation at our cafe’s and other events. My personal favorite is their Parkinson’s Disease Fact Sheet – so handy for explaining Parkinson’s, particularly to medical professionals. If you’d like to participate in Moving Day® DC, more information about this event can be found here, on their website.
Insight Memory Care Center is really hopping!
Insight hosts our Cafe Fairfax on the 3rd Wednesday each month. They also offer free workshops and classes for caregivers that many of us have found helpful, not only those with a loved one living with dementia.
• On Tuesday, May 15th from 10:00 am – 12 noon we hope to see you at Cafe Fairfax when our visitor will be Dr. Dresely, a Developmental and Behavioral Optometrist who will talk about how Parkinson’s can affect the entire visual process. He will bring handouts, answer questions, and lead us through a couple of fun vision therapy demonstrations. Please click here to RSVP.
• On Tuesday, May 15th from 3:30 pm – 5:30 pm you can join in and Celebrate @ Insight!
• On Wednesday, May 16, after Cafe Fairfax, Colleen Walker will be talking about Activities of Daily Living Success! and how you can make each day more successful. If you’re caring for a loved one at home, come and learn tips and tricks for providing hands-on care for eating, dressing, bathing, hygiene and toileting.
• On Wednesday, May 30 from 10:00 – 11:30 am the topic is Connecting through Creativity: Art Therapy with Crista L. Kostenko, ATR-BC, LCPAT.
• On Saturday, June 9 from 1:00 – 2:30 pm there’s an interactive class for caregivers called Movement & Meditation: An Interactive Workshop with Cynthia Bialek, RYT500
For more information about these events and more, please check out their website, click here to view their events calendar, or contact Lindsey Vajpeyi, Director of Education and Outreach at 703-270-0043 or lindsey.vajpeyi@insightmcc.org
I’ve added a new event to the Community Events page of our website – Safe Driving as You Age, organized by NV Rides. It’s on Thursday, May 17, from 9:30 am-1:30 pm and includes a free lunch! You’ll find more community events on the same page, in order by date.
Hope to see you Out and About soon!
Cheers,
Sonia
Sonia@ParkinsonSocialNetwork.org
May is Older Americans Month!
Sharing ideas to get out and about, and stay safe in our homes . . .
A great time to check out the Fairfax County Creative Aging Festival
There’s a month-long celebration of the visual, literary and performing arts and the profound impact they have on older adults happening now in Fairfax. Senior centers throughout the county will be hosting demonstrations, performances and interactive classes involving writing, drawing, painting, crafting, music and dance. A complete schedule of activities is listed here. Events will take place all around Fairfax County, including at Lewinsville Retirement Residence, our hosts for Cafe McLean. There’s bound to be an event near you! Please be sure to contact the host location for additional details and information about specific activities.
If you’re wondering where to go for lunch on Tuesday, May 8 at 11:30 am ~
the Fair Oaks Support Group Lunch Bunch is meeting again.
With a new day of the week and time, they’ll be at:
Silver Diner, 12251 Fair Lakes Pkwy, Fairfax, VA 22033
All are welcome!
On Wednesday, May 9 from 11:00 am – 1:00 pm we’ll be at Cafe McLean . . .
. . . enjoying a light lunch and a visit by Michelle Smith, Caregiver Specialist with the Fairfax Area Agency on Aging. Michelle will bring all kinds of fascinating things to help make our daily lives just a little bit easier to manage.
Click here for more information about our cafe locations, and click here to RSVP!
To subscribe to Out & About with Parkinson’s our weekly e-newsletter with updates and reminders about our cafes and other events click here.
Rebuilding Together
I read about this organization in our local Greenbriar Flyer last week. One of our neighbors wrote about her experience when several people came to repair a number of issues in her home and install grab bars. She also wanted to spread the word how “Rebuilding Together provides home repairs at no charge for low- and moderate-income homeowners, with priority to seniors, people with disabilities, veterans and families with children in the Arlington, Fairfax and Falls church area. To apply or refer a friend or neighbor, go to www.rebuildingtogether-aff.org or call 703-528-1999.”
Fair Oaks Support Group
At our April support group meeting we enjoyed a scrumptious brunch laid out for us by our hosts at Sunrise at Fair Oaks in recognition of Parkinson’s Awareness Month. Several friends shared their positive experiences with local resources with us.
1) After researching several personal emergency response systems one friend settled on the Philips Lifeline Medical Alert System through the Virginia Hospital Center. It offers fall detection, and is GPS enabled. Hospital staff will install the equipment in your home and explain how it works. I found some information on their website here.
2) Another friend told us about The InovaCares for Seniors™ PACE® Program (Program of All-inclusive Care for the Elderly). PACE® is a national program providing comprehensive, personalized care – medical, social services, day care – that makes it possible for people who require nursing home level of care to remain in their homes. It can be expensive, but includes medical care (doctors, therapy, etc.), transport to and from doctor appointments, durable medical equipment, and medications. More information is on their website here.
3) Fans of Insight Memory Care Center, our hosts for Cafe Fairfax, then spoke enthusiastically about the many programs Insight offers including support groups, Memory Cafes, day center, workshops, classes, and their Reconnections program – even an annual cruise! More information on their website here.
UPDATE: Fairfax County Scam Jam
On Saturday, April 28, AARP Virginia and Fairfax County Government brought together top experts and law enforcement officials to present information on avoiding scams. In case you missed it, it will be replayed on Channel 16 in May, Sundays at 1:00 p.m. and Thursdays at 1:30 p.m.
Other Events
You can check out these and previously mentioned events on our Community Events page, in order by date.
Cheers,
Sonia
email: Sonia@ParkinsonSocialNetwork.org
Parkinson Social Network 