Parkinson’s Foundation to Host, Broadcast Summit for Caregivers in English, Spanish

With a focus on self-care and caregiving, the Parkinson’s Foundation is hosting a free bilingual summit for those who attend to the daily needs of Parkinson’s disease (PD) patients.

Called Cumbre Para Cuidadores (Summit for Caregivers), the all-day event Dec. 1 at the Sheraton Grand Phoenix in Phoenix, Arizona, will be broadcast online in English and Spanish to satellite locations nationwide. It will also be available to view via personal computer, tablet or smartphone, and recorded for future viewing.

With a focus on collaborative care, the summit is for anyone caring for someone living with Parkinson’s, such as a spouse, partner, child or friend. It aims to provide encouragement, education and resources.

Led by field experts, the sessions will include Introduction to Collaborative Care, Intimacy and PD, Communication and Coping Strategies, and Collaborative Caregiving in Action.

Attendee will receive the foundation’s Caring and Coping workbook, designed to help guide caregivers of patients at any stage. The book includes tips and tools and focuses on caring for the patient and oneself.

John Lehr, president and chief executive officer of the Parkinson’s Foundation, said caregivers often pay much more attention to the person with Parkinson’s than to themselves.

“This event is a critical component of our efforts to better understand and address the needs of today’s caregivers and to recognize the work they are doing to support their loved ones living with PD,” Lehr said in a news release.

Leslie Peterson, a member of the summit committee, said it also offers an opportunity for caregivers who have common experiences to be together. “Taking care of ourselves so that we can care for our loved ones is so important,” she said. “Everyone will leave this event with a feeling of positivity and the knowledge that they are not alone.”

Go here to register for the Phoenix summit or to register for satellite locations in: Columbus, Ohio; Fargo, North Dakota; Jacksonville, Florida; the Kansas City area; Manhattan, Kansas; Milwaukee, Wisconsin; the Minneapolis, Minnesota area; Orange County, California; Rochester, New York; San Diego, California; the San Francisco, California area; South Florida; the St. Paul, Minnesota area; St. Petersburg, Florida, Syracuse, New York, and Tampa, Florida. Some locations, including the Sheraton Grand, will provide respite care or programs for loved ones with Parkinson’s.

If there is no satellite session nearby, caregivers are encouraged to host viewing parties. Go here for registration, technology guidelines, funding information, and how to obtain printable materials and sample promotional items for attendees. 

To register from a personal computer, tablet or smartphone, go here for English and here for Spanish.

The summit is sponsored by Acadia Pharmaceuticals, the developer of Nuplazid (pimavanserin), the only FDA-approved treatment of psychosis associated with Parkinson’s disease.

For more information about the summit, call 800-473-4636, or e-mail [email protected]