Parkinson’s Foundation Hosts Free Bilingual Caregiver Summit

​MIAMI & NEW YORK (October 30, 2018) — The Parkinson’s Foundation will host a Caregiver Summit – “Cumbre Para Cuidadores” – geared specifically toward caregivers of people living with Parkinson’s disease (PD). The daylong event on December 1 in Phoenix, AZ, will broadcast in English and Spanish to 15 satellite locations across the country.

"The Parkinson’s Foundation Caregiver Summit is a much-needed event for caregivers, who so often focus more on the person with PD than on themselves," said John Lehr, president and chief executive officer of the Parkinson’s Foundation. "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."

The agenda focuses on collaborative care — self-care and caregiving — and includes the following topics: intimacy and PD, collaborative care teams, in addition to communication and coping strategies. Each attendee will receive a complimentary copy of the Parkinson’s Foundation Caring & Coping workbook, to help caregivers prepare for every step of the PD journey.

“The Parkinson’s Foundation Caregiver Summit is going to provide a real chance to be with other caregivers that completely understand the challenges of caring for someone living with PD. Taking care of ourselves, so that we can care for our loved ones is so important,” said Leslie Peters, a member of the Caregiver Summit committee. “Everyone will leave this event with a feeling of positivity and the knowledge that they are not alone.”

The live event will be held on Saturday, December 1, at the Sheraton Grand located at 5594 W. Wild Horse Pass Blvd. in Phoenix, AZ, and will be broadcast online and at 15 satellite locations: Bay Area, CA, Columbus, OH, Fargo, ND, Jacksonville, FL, Kansas City Area, Manhattan, KS, Milwaukee, WI, Minneapolis Area, MN, Orange County, CA, Rochester, NY, San Diego, CA, South Florida Area, St. Petersburg Area, FL, Syracuse, NY and Tampa, FL. The content will be recorded and archived for caregivers to use as a resource.

ACADIA Pharmaceuticals Inc., is the Presenting Sponsor of the Parkinson’s Foundation Caregiver Summit, which will offer encouragement, education and access to much-needed resources to those caring for people with PD. ACADIA is dedicated to developing and commercializing innovative medicines that address unmet medical needs in central nervous system disorders, including hallucinations and delusions associated with Parkinson’s disease. “ACADIA is proud to be the Presenting Sponsor of this important initiative to support Parkinson’s disease caregivers and contribute to educational tools and resources to support the patient community,” said Robert Kaper, M.D., senior vice president of Global Medical Affairs. 

The summit is free of charge. All caregivers in the PD community are welcome to attend in person, at a satellite location or online. 

Please call the Parkinson’s Foundation Helpline for more information about the Caregiver Summit at 1-800-4PD-INFO (473-4636) or email Helpline@parkinson.org.