Educational Events

How to Pay for Long-Term Care and Protect Assets for Families with PD

Virtual ( Zoom )
2:00 pm to 3:00 pm EST
FREE
Two family members hugging in front of a laptop screen

Speaker

Lauren L. Fink, PA
Shareholder at Maser, Amundson & Boggio

 

Lauren practices in the areas of Elder Law and Estate Planning, which include helping establishing estate plans for clients, long-term care planning, asset preservation strategies, planning with government benefits such as Medical Assistance and Veterans benefits, special needs planning, and probate and trust administrations.

Lauren chose to become an attorney because her parents were caretakers for many elders in her family. She saw how difficult their job was and wanted the tools to be able to act as a valued guide for others who care for elders. Lauren’s warm approach puts her clients at ease as she helps them develop a plan, making sure they are confident about their situations and futures.

Lauren obtained her Bachelor of Arts degree with a Major in English Literature from the University of Wisconsin – Madison, and her J.D. from William Mitchell College of Law. Lauren is the Vice Chair of the Elder Law Governing Council of the Elder Law Section of the Minnesota State Bar Association, and the Chair of the Education Committee of the Elder Law Section. Lauren is also the past President of the Advisory Board of the Minnesota Chapter of the Parkinson’s Foundation. Additionally, Lauren is a member of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA), and the Secretary of the Board of the Minnesota Chapter of NAELA.

This is a virtual program, taking place live, using the online Zoom platform. Instructions on joining the webinar are provided after registering.

Upcoming Events

My PD Story

John Foley and family
People with PD

John Foley

My journey with Parkinson’s disease (PD) began at age 65, when I received a PD diagnosis. Doctors believe I had Parkinson’s for about four years prior to diagnosis. One chapter of my PD journey concluded with deep brain stimulation (DBS) surgery followed by programming and meeting with my neurosurgeon. My goal is to continue to enjoy adventure travel, cycling, photography and playing music with friends for as long as possible. There’s no doubt that DBS will add years of quality time to my life.

I began writing poetry as a catharsis for dealing with the disease and treatments. Up until my diagnosis, I had never written or even been particularly interested in poetry. Looking back, my brain’s response to the stress and adversity emerged in the form of poems that created an emotional vocabulary to express the disease at a visceral level. I never intended to share these poems with anyone.

Having come through the other side of the DBS process, and at the request of my neurosurgeon Dr. Kendall Lee, I felt it was important to share my work to give others a real understanding of the process of treating Parkinson’s with deep brain stimulation. This experience inspired me to write a book titled No Turning Back: Journey from PD Diagnosis to DBS Surgery. The goal of the book is to change antiquated perceptions about DBS as a treatment of last resort for people with PD.

I had the good fortune of working with Mary GrandPré, whose talent and artistry interpreted my words and infused a level of visual emotion beyond my imagination. I hope you will find this writing to be honest, raw, vulnerable and accessible. This is one patient’s experience with DBS.

I have also connected with the PD community through volunteering for the Parkinson’s Foundation. My daughter, wife and I volunteered for Moving Day Twin Cities in Minnesota. It was a great experience that we plan to repeat for years to come. We are also hosting a No Turning Back book launch event at the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis, with all ticket and book sale proceeds going to the Parkinson's Foundation.

Download a copy of No Turning Back

Videos & Webinars

How is Parkinson's Disease Diagnosed?

Finding out you have Parkinson's disease (PD) can be a lengthy process. In this video, explore how a Parkinson's diagnosis is made.

Videos & Webinars

Exercise Recommendations for Parkinson’s Disease

Exercise is an important part of healthy living for everyone. For those with Parkinson’s disease (PD), exercise is more than healthy — it is a vital component to maintaining balance, mobility and activities of daily living. Research shows that exercise and physical activity can not only maintain and improve mobility, flexibility and balance but also ease non-motor PD symptoms such as depression or constipation. Browse Parkinson’s-friendly exercise tutorials on our YouTube.

Videos & Webinars

Is there a cure for Parkinson’s disease? How is it treated?

Treatment may include things that you do yourself, such as exercise, or things that you do with oversight, such as physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech therapy or talk therapy. It may also include medications specific to your needs, such as medications aimed at improving your movement, and others aimed at improving non-movement symptoms such as constipation, urinary dysfunction, or sleep. The treatment of Parkinson’s is often best served via a team approach, with you – the person with PD – at the center and incorporation of your care partner, healthcare provider, therapists and other healthcare providers who treat specific symptoms of Parkinson’s.

For more information on treatments for Parkinson’s disease, visit Parkinson.org/Treatment.

Books

Opciones Quirúrgicas

Este libro ha sido diseñado como guía práctica para explicar el proceso completo recomendado para las personas con Parkinson y las familias que consideran una terapia quirúrgica. El contenido explora todo desde la decisión de someterse a la cirugía, hasta el día de la cirugía y su recuperación. Si bien la información de este libro pretende facilitar una discusión sobre las opciones quirúrgicas con la familia, los amigos y el equipo de cuidado de la salud, no pretende sustituir la asesoría de los expertos en la materia, a cargo de su cuidado.

Educational Events

Mindfulness Mondays- Responding vs. Reacting

Virtual ( Zoom )
1:00 pm to 1:30 pm EST
FREE
Woman sitting on the couch drinking coffee

Join us every Monday as our expert speaker leads you in guided relaxation techniques to help boost brain power and reduce stress.

Whether this is your first mindfulness Monday or you are a returning participant, these sessions are created with the intention of including everyone. There will be time for questions following the practice.

Speaker

Crista Ellis, BS, RYT-200 - Yoga and Meditation teacher, Community Engagement Manager, Parkinson's Foundation 

There is no charge to attend, but registration is required.

PD Health @ Home is presented by the Light of Day Foundation, whose generosity has made this programming possible.

Light of Day

This is a virtual program, taking place live, using the online Zoom platform. Instructions on joining the webinar are provided after registering.

Upcoming Events

Educational Events

Mindfulness Mondays - Mental Well-being

Virtual ( Zoom )
1:00 pm to 1:30 pm EST
FREE
Woman sitting on the couch drinking coffee

Join health psychologist, Taylor Rush, PhD, as she explores different dimensions of a mindfulness practice. She will share ways to ground and settle the mind and body. These mindfulness techniques can offer moments of respite and clarity that can be useful throughout your week. Find a comfortable seat and join your mindful Parkinson's community for a special session.

Whether this is your first mindfulness Monday, or you are a returning participant, these sessions are created with the intention of including everyone. There will be time for questions following the practice.

Speaker

Taylor Rush, PhD - Health Psychologist, Director of Behavioral Services and Interdisciplinary Programs, Center for Neurological Restoration, Cleveland Clinic

There is no charge to attend, but registration is required.

PD Health @ Home is presented by the Light of Day Foundation, whose generosity has made this programming possible.

Light of Day

This is a virtual program, taking place live, using the online Zoom platform. Instructions on joining the webinar are provided after registering.

Upcoming Events

Educational Events

Mindfulness Mondays - Mindfulness of Thoughts

Virtual ( Zoom )
1:00 pm to 1:30 pm EST
FREE
Woman sitting on the couch drinking coffee

We all think. Mindfulness won’t stop that. What mindfulness can do is help us be aware of our thoughts so that we can put attention and energy into the thoughts that serve us, and let go of the thoughts that aren’t helpful. In this session, we will discuss how this works and offer a guided meditation on awareness of thoughts.

Whether this is your first mindfulness Monday, or you are a returning participant, these sessions are created with the intention of including everyone. There will be time for questions following the practice.

Speaker

Devon Hase, PhD

There is no charge to attend, but registration is required.

PD Health @ Home is presented by the Light of Day Foundation, whose generosity has made this programming possible.

Light of Day

This is a virtual program, taking place live, using the online Zoom platform. Instructions on joining the webinar are provided after registering.

Upcoming Events

Educational Events

Mindfulness Mondays - Pain Management

Virtual ( Zoom )
1:00 pm to 1:30 pm EST
FREE
Woman sitting on the couch drinking coffee

In today's session, we will discuss various methods of managing our pain with mindfulness practices. The foundation of these practices is grounded in Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), which was originally created by Jon Kabatt-Zinn, PhD in 1979 to alleviate suffering in patients with chronic pain at the Stress Reduction Clinic Center at UMass Medical Center.

Whether this is your first mindfulness Monday or you are a returning participant, these sessions are created with the intention of including everyone. There will be time for questions following the practice.

Speaker

Lisa Varno, MMEd, E-RYT, YACEP
Certified Integrative Health Coach, Trained at Duke Integrative Medicine

There is no charge to attend, but registration is required.

PD Health @ Home is presented by the Light of Day Foundation, whose generosity has made this programming possible.

Light of Day

This is a virtual program, taking place live, using the online Zoom platform. Instructions on joining the webinar are provided after registering.

Upcoming Events

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