![]() "serving as a resource for individuals and their families affected by Parkinson's disease in the Carolinas, through education, community outreach and direct support" November Newsletter - 2020
Dear *{{First Name}}* ,
As the holiday season approaches, we are reminded In the next week, you may receive our We are an independent, regional organization with no funding ties to a national Parkinson’s group. That’s what makes your contributions so unique. Every dollar donated stays in the Carolinas. -Ann Marie Worman, Executive Director
The PAC team has been diligently working to bring you new programs and resources throughout November, but first, make sure you save the date for our annual MoveIt! Walk in Myrtle Beach, SC on May 8, 2021 and again in Charlotte, NC on May 22, 2021!
Movement Therapy Opportunities Gentle Yoga classes will continue Tuesday through Thursday at 10AM via Zoom. Outdoor classes located at SouthPark Mall in Charlotte, NC will also continue on November 7th and 21st at 10AM. Details and more information will be made available here.
PWR! Moves with Susan Wiseman is RESCHEDULED for Monday, November 9, 2020 at 2PM via Zoom and Monday November 16, 2020 at 2PM outdoors at SouthPark Mall. Details and more information will be made available here.
Support Group Opportunities PAC will continue our VIRTUAL SUPPORT GROUP November 4, 2020 at 2PM. Join us and guest speaker Amy Siegler, Occupational Therapist with Limb Tech for an INTERACTIVE virtual support group! Register for the Virtual Support Group here.
We will continue offering educational webinars throughout the year, all of which are listed below and updated on our website regularly. To ensure you receive all information about upcoming events, keep up with us on social media and keep an eye on email updates! Details and more information will be made available here. 980-245-2786 or emailing pac@parkinsonassociation.org. Let’s get through this together.
Sponsored Webinars We are extremely grateful to all of our sponsors for their continuous support in bringing you more educational opportunities at no cost to you! Please register for webinars below for exclusive educational opportunities brought to you by the PAC team and our sponsors! ![]() Managing the Return of Parkinson’s Symptoms With a Unique Treatment with Dr. James Patton - PAC/ACORDA November 12, 2020 at 6:30PM ![]() Managing Off Times (Apokyn) with Dr. Salima Brillman, Charles Manning, and Patient Advocate Pattie Meese - PAC/SUPERNUS November 18, 2020 at 6PM For information on our sponsors and subsequent webinars click the more information button below. Please note there is no cost to participate in these webinars, and all information provided is a paid advertisement by the sponsoring company and is not an endorsement by Parkinson Association of the Carolinas of the product or service. As with any treatment option or medication, please consult your physician. We hope to see you there!
News
Voting in the 2020 elections: The 2020 elections are quickly approaching, below are some of the important dates to make sure your vote counts! Oct. 15: Early voting begins (strongly encouraged) Oct. 27: Absentee ballot requests (“vote by mail”) must be received by the county board of elections office by 5p.m. Oct. 31: Early voting ends Nov. 3: Election Day and in-person voting Nov. 3: Absentee ballots must be received by the county board of elections by 5p.m. - it must be signed and have one witness. Absentee ballots received after 5 p.m. on Election Day will be timely only if they are received by mail no later than 5 p.m. on the third day following the date of the election, and postmarked on or before Election Day. Important Registration Information: -First time voters must complete and submit this form at least 25 days prior to the election -If you aren't sure if you are registered to vote, visit the North Carolina State Board of Elections website to ensure you’re in the system and that your information is current. -If you are a NC DMV customer, you can register to vote or update your voter registration through the “myNCDMV” app (click here for more information). -If you have moved recently, or since the last time you voted, update your registration to reflect your current address. -All registered voters may request absentee ballots for the November 2020 general election. To request an absentee ballot, complete and submit this form.
Drinking coffee may protect some people against Parkinson’s: ![]()
A recent study found lower levels of caffeine in the blood of people with Parkinson’s disease. The study compared people with Parkinson’s who carry a particular genetic mutation known to increase Parkinson’s risk with people who carry the same mutation but do not have the disease.
Drinking coffee has previously been associated with lowering the risk of developing Parkinson’s disease. In a recent study, researchers in the US examined whether coffee can protect people with a mutation in the LRRK2 gene – which can increase the risk of developing the condition. Continue Reading on Parkinson's Life
Ask the expert: How close are we to a cure for Parkinson’s disease? ![]()
How soon could scientists find a cure for Parkinson’s disease and what could it look like? Sohini Chowdhury, deputy CEO at the Michael J Fox Foundation, tells us about some of the most exciting areas of research – and why it’s crucial to look at individual experiences of the condition.
There’s a recognition now that Parkinson’s disease is not one disease experience. It is a disease experience that is very variable, so we have to be open minded because a cure for one person could be very different than a cure for another person.
LATEST RESEARCH ON COVID-19 & PARKINSON’S DISEASE ![]() As citizens of the world, we all continue to grapple with the COVID-19 pandemic. And as members of the Parkinson’s disease (PD) community, we continue to have specific concerns about COVID-19 and how it relates to PD. There is so much information out there, some of it misinformation, so it is important to rely on credible, trusted sources. In this post, I will cover the latest information (as of the date this was published) that investigates the relationship between PD and COVID-19.
Upcoming Events
![]() Featured Presenters:
Dr. Laurie Santos
![]() Centralina Area Agency on Aging presents Communicating With Your Healthcare Provider During the Age of COVID-19
Wednesday, November 4, at 10AM Featured Presenters:
Chelsea Cain, FNP-C
Sheila Wright, MSN, RN
PAC Virtual Support Group ![]() Join the PAC team with guest speaker Amy Siegler, Occupational Therapist with Limb Tech.
November 4, 2020 at 2PM All virtual support groups, facilitated by PAC, will continue on the first Wednesday of the month at 2PM.
Outdoor Gentle Yoga: ![]() Saturday, November 7th, and 21st at 10AM
Located at Southpark Mall in Charlotte, NC
**Zoom classes remain Tuesday-Thursday at 10AM To register contact a PAC team member today at (980) 245-2786 or pac@parkinsonassociation.org.
PWR! Moves: ![]() Monday, November 9, 2020 at 2PM via Zoom
Monday, November 16, 2020 at 2PM OUTDOORS located at Southpark Mall in Charlotte, NC To register contact a PAC team member today at (980) 245-2786 or pac@parkinsonassociation.org.
![]() Parkinson Foundation presents:
Partnering: The Dance of Relationships and Romance
Tuesday, November 10, 2020 at1:00PM Featured Presenter:
Dr. Sheila Silver MA, DHS, ACS
Join the PAC team and sponsor ACORDA for
Managing the Return of Parkinson’s Symptoms With a Unique Treatment with Dr. James Patton
November 12, 2020 at 6:30PM
![]() Featured Presenters:
Dr. Salima Brillman
Charles Manning
Patient Advocate Pattie Meese
![]() The Micheal J.Fox Foundation presents What's Next for Parkinson's: Big Trials, New Treatments and Steps Toward Prevention
November 19, 2020 at 12PM
Featured Presenters:
Foundation and field leaders
North Carolina Coastal Area course: Mondays & Thursdays, 10:30am-12:15pm September 21 — November 19 To see if this course is appropriate for you, please contact the instructor: Jim Paisner for more info: www.thepoiseproject.org/events/2020/nccoastal-pfp-course South Carolina Coastal Area course: Mondays & Thursdays, 2:30pm-4:15pm October 8 — December 10 To see if this course is appropriate for you, please contact the instructor: Petrea Warneck for more info: www.thepoiseproject.org/events/2020/sccoastal-pfp-course
Facebook Live Parkinson's Speech Exercises
![]()
![]() Dance and Sing for PD classes are now online.
Check danceforparkinson.org or more information here!
![]()
![]()
Programs
Disclaimers
Many meetings have been suspended until further notice, others have pivoted to virtual meetings. Similarly, many classes or facilities are closed out of an abundance of caution for public safety.
Please refer to the highlighted links for contact information and updates regarding availability.
We ask that you practice caution when participating in exercise opportunities. Talk to your doctor about what program would be best for you, stay hydrated, exercise in a safe location, move at your own pace and preferably with a partner either with a caregiver or video exercise with a friend! Support Groups
The PAC Virtual Support Group will continue every first Wednesday of the month at 2PM.
Our next Virtual Support Group will be November 4, 2020 at 2PM with guest speaker Amy Siegler, Occupational Therapist with Limb Tech.
Exercise
RockSteady Boxing: streaming on YouTube Dance for PD & Sing for PD: streaming here Pilates for PD: streaming here Invigorate Physical Therapy: www.invigoratept.com LSVT -Speech Therapy: www.lsvtglobal.com
PAC will continue to offer Gentle Yoga, PWR! Moves and Dance for Parkinson's both online and in-person. Please check our website for updated schedules and registration.
Research Opportunities
![]() Dr. Vanessa Hinson, Director of the Parkinson’s Foundation Center of Excellence at MUSC, recently spoke to the attendees at a support group meeting about two ongoing trials in the Charleston area that require minimal or no visit to a medical facility.
The TOPAZ Study is a fracture prevention trial where the medication will be administered during a one-time, 45-minute visit to your home. The ROPAD trial is an observational (no treatment) genetic study conducted during a single visit to the “little green house”, the MUSC Movement Disorders research site away from the hospital. These are two important trials and offer two ways you can help to further our knowledge of PD, with easy participation. Please contact Tim at sheehant@musc.edu for more information. You do not have to be an MUSC patient to participate!
![]() LSVT Global and CurePSP are partnering with Google for new study called Project Euphonia. Project Euphonia is looking for volunteers with moderate to severe speech disorders associated with Parkinson’s (or other Parkinsonism-related diagnoses), to participate in this new study involving recording spoken phrases to help improve automatic speech recognition software (e.g. phones, computers, devices). If you are interested in learning more about Project Euphonia, visit this webpage. Please contact project.euphonia@lsvtglobal.com with any questions.
![]() You're invited to consider completing an online survey designed to begin to understand some of the unmet challenges for people with Parkinson’s disease. Despite the continual growth of people diagnosed with young onset Parkinson’s disease (YOPD), research examining the burdensome non-motor features remains scarce. The research study is titled, “Apathy in Young Onset Parkinson’s Disease: The Mitigating Role of Employment and Meaning in Life.” We hope to identify potential relationships between apathy and other variables that might lead to new and innovative treatments. To be eligible to participate in this study, participants need to have a clinical diagnosis of YOPD (prior to the age of 50) and be at least 18 years old. Participation in this study will require about 25-minutes of time and will not include any compensation. I am hoping to have all surveys completed by December 20, 2020
![]() You're invited to participate in a study examining the positive and negative effects of living with Parkinson’s Disease during COVID-19. Anyone who is above 18 years of age, is mentally competent, and is diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease is eligible to participate.
Participation in this study will help improve our knowledge of how Parkinson’s disease affects individuals, which can ultimately inform ways to help people adjust to their disease and have an optimal quality of life.
Connect with us!
![]() Call us toll-free 866.903.PARK (7275) ![]() You shop. Amazon gives. Consider selecting Parkinson Association of the Carolinas as your nonprofit on AmazonSmile and Amazon will donate a portion of your purchase to PAC.
Our Contact Information ![]() |