Episode 43: Parenting and Parkinson's: Raising Children While Living with Parkinson's

Parenting has its challenges and surprises under the best of circumstances, but when a parent has Parkinson’s disease, it can put added stresses on the family, both for the parents and the children. As parents’ abilities and roles change, children need to come to understand the disease, how it may change their routines, and the potential need to take on additional responsibilities. Today we kick off our first of two episodes in our Holiday Series: Families and Parkinson’s, as we interview Social worker Elaine Book of the Pacific Parkinson’s Research Center and the University of British Columbia Movement Disorders Clinic in Vancouver, BC, a Parkinson’s Foundation Center of Excellence. Elaine shares how she helps families cope with PD by discussing some of the new challenges and demands, what changes may occur in the family, and those things that remain the same. She says there may even be some benefits to the family members when they cope well that would not otherwise accrue under other circumstances.

Released: December 4, 2018

Ms. Book has worked in the field of Social Work for over 30 years in a variety of community and hospital settings with an interest in the geriatric population. She has worked with individuals, families and as a leader of support groups. She is the Center Coordinator and Clinic Social Worker for the Pacific Parkinson’s Research Centre, a PF Center of Excellence, at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada.

She has become a leader in the PD community, serving as a speaker at support groups, a presenter at neurology meetings, a faculty member of the Allied Team Training Program, mentor with the Parkinson Foundation, planning committee member of the World Parkinson Congress (2016,2019) and a member of the Parkinson Canada Medical Advisory Council. Ms. Book also coordinates a blog designed for neurological social workers and has a special interest in raising awareness and developing resources for PWP and their children/teens.

Ms. Book earned her B.S.W. from the University of Manitoba and her M.S.W. from the University of British Columbia, with her thesis focusing on caregiver stress. She has continued to expand her training throughout her career, including cognitive behavioral therapy, advance care planning and social work instruction.

About Elaine Book, MSW

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Parkinson's and Your Children/Teenagers

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