Parkinson’s Foundation to Present Spanish-language Conference Oct. 19

The Parkinson’s Foundation’s fourth annual Spanish-language conference, set for Oct. 19 in Norwalk, California, will provide the latest information about Parkinson’s disease treatment and management.

Called “Hacia Adelante: Navegando el Mar del Parkinson’s” (“Forward: Sailing the Parkinson’s Sea”), the free conference is for patients, families, and healthcare providers interested in learning how to live well with Parkinson’s. All sessions and activities will be conducted in Spanish.

“Parkinson’s is more prevalent in Hispanics than in any other U.S. ethnic group, but studies confirm that many Hispanics are underserved when it comes to accessing necessary Parkinson’s information, treatment and care,” Fernando Cubillos, MD, the foundation’s senior director of research programs, said in a press release.

“As part of our mission to tackle this problem head on, we’re providing this conference to better empower and serve Latinos living with the disease through expert care, education and advocacy that is patient and community centered.”

In addition to presentations by a host of expert physicians and advocates, the event will include question-and-answer sessions, community resources, exercise and dance demonstrations, live music performances, and complimentary meals and parking. Grammy and Latin Grammy award-winning music producer Sebastian Krys will talk about his experience with Parkinson’s. The conference will take place from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the DoubleTree by Hilton, 13111 Sycamore Drive.

Conference topics were chosen by the community. They include symptom management, healthcare system navigation, exercise, remaining motivated in the face of Parkinson’s, and caregiving as a family. Register here or by calling the bilingual Parkinson’s Foundation helpline at 800-473-4636.

On a related topic, the foundation presents a new episode of the podcast, “Substantial Matters: Life and Science of Parkinson’s,” every other Tuesday. In one episode — “What We’ve Learned from the Hispanic Parkinson’s Community” — Claudia Martinez, the Hispanic outreach coordinator at the Muhammad Ali Parkinson Center in Phoenix, describes the methods she uses to help Hispanic patients get the best possible care.

The most common neurodegenerative disease after Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s affects nearly 1 million U.S. residents and 10 million globally. In the United States alone, 60,000 new cases are diagnosed annually.

The Parkinson’s Foundation works to enhance patient care and advance research toward a cure.