Symposium: My Life is Bigger than Parkinson's

“My Life is Bigger Than Parkinson’s” - an educational symposium right here in Santa Cruz County, designed to teach people about Parkinson’s disease (PD) and for People with Parkinson’s (PwP) to learn to live better.


The symposium is being presented by the Santa Cruz County Parkinson’s Group, a project of EASE PD, Inc, a non-profit devoted to “Exercise, Activites, Support and Education for Parkinson’s Disease,” with major support by the Bowen Family Foundation. Although the symposium is free, registration is REQUIRED and donations are gratefully accepted.


To register, go to http://www.easepd.org/2019-symposium/ before February 15, 2019. Questions? Send an email to [email protected].


Speakers will be:
Peter Lin, MD, Parkinson's and Movement Disorder Specialist, Valley Parkinson Clinic, Los Gatos, CA
Laurie Mischley, ND, PhD, Seattle Integrative Medicine, Seattle WA
Karen Nauenberg, MPT, Dominican Hospital, Santa Cruz, CA
Amy Carlson, PwP and Davis Phinney Foundation Ambassador, Monrovia, CA
David Zimmerman, LMFT, Private Practice, Soquel, CA.


The symposium will offer seating by “Affinity Groups” - to allow attendees with similar concerns to sit together for informal discussion, such as “Are you a Vet with PD?” “Are you new to PD?” “Are you Caring for a PwP?”


In addition, there will be several Discussion Groups following the free lunch, which our Speakers will moderate, such as “Intimacy in PD” “Optimizing Medications” and “Lifestyle Modifications,” etc.
BRIEF HISTORY:
The Santa Cruz County Parkinson’s Group (SCCPG), a project of the not-for-profit EASE PD, Inc. (www.easepd.org), has been a long-standing community organization whose mission is to foster a supportive environment for People with Parkinson’s disease (PwP), their families, friends and caregivers. For more than 25 years, it has been providing a venue for them to meet, socialize, and learn, both from each other and from outside speakers. It also provides community outreach in the form of a newsletter called Movers and Shakers and via informational brochures placed in local physicians’ offices.

The group is committed to disseminating the latest scientific information about the disease and in supporting access to much-needed exercise and other therapeutic activities.

The vibrant Santa Cruz Parkinson’s community of those with PD, their family members, and volunteers continues to welcome new members, and hopes to increase its impact in Santa Cruz County. However, there are still areas of the community that are underserved. It is the hope that small-group discussions on topics of mutual interest at the March symposium will help to guide future projects and fundraising efforts, as well as attract new members.