National Parkinson's Awareness Month
April 2021
Symptoms from Parkinson's Disease generally develop slowly over many years.
The progression of symptoms is often a bit different from one person to another due to the diversity of the disease. People with PD may experience: Tremors- Mainly at rest and described as pill rolling tremor in hands. Other forms of tremor are possible:
Bradykinesia, Limb rigidity or Gait and balance problems.
In addition to movement-related (“motor”) symptoms, Parkinson’s symptoms may be unrelated to movement (“non-motor”).People with PD are often more impacted by their non-motor symptoms than motor symptoms. Examples of non-motor symptoms include: apathy, depression, constipation, sleep behavior disorders, loss of sense of smell and cognitive impairment.
Parkinson's Foundation

April is Parkinson’s Awareness Month. This year, we want to raise awareness about Parkinson’s disease and all of the available resources we have developed to make life better for people with Parkinson’s disease (PD). So we’ve developed the #KnowMorePD quiz.

Parkinson's Disease and Caregiving
Whether you care for someone who is recently diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease (PD), are adapting to new challenges as the disease progresses or have been living with PD for a long time, a strong support network is essential for your wellbeing and the wellbeing of the person with Parkinson’s. Making sure you are taken care of, too, can help create a productive partnership that minimizes stress and conflict. Benefits include revitalized energy, renewed interest in creative endeavors, new subjects to talk about and the realization that you and your partner are not alone.
Parkinson’s is a progressive disease, meaning that it changes over time. That can make it hard to define your role, as your involvement will change along the way. Responsibilities may include helping a loved one with daily activities, managing medications and making financial decisions.
Parkinson's Caregiver Burnout:
Handling Grief, Anxiety, and Depression
Are you struggling with Parkinson's Caregiver burnout? Sometimes it's hard to tell. In today's interview, Dr. Sarah King, PT, DPT talks to Debbie Heinrich from Companions on a Journey to talk about the feelings of grief, anxiety, and even depression that can often surface as a Parkinson's caregiver.
Nutrition: the Foundation of Self-Care for Caregivers
You may wonder what your day-to-day nutritional choices have to do with being a caregiver. The food that you eat affects your moods, overall health and immune system. When you experience the ongoing stress of caregiving, good nutrition becomes critical to maintain your health and well-being.
Stress and Eating
Stress of any kind can impact eating patterns. When you are busy taking care of someone, your own nutrition often becomes a secondary concern, even an afterthought. You may not take the time to cook, let alone time to sit down to a healthy meal. Or you may eat by default, consuming whatever is handy, including sugary or junk food that you would not normally eat. Your eating may no longer be about self-nurturing or even nutrition because you are worn out.
You probably know that the excess sugar or junk food is not good for you. You know deep down that your blood sugar will crash after eating sweets, causing you to feel worse. Ironically, those plates of goodies that family and friends bring to comfort you may actually feed your depression and weaken your immune system.
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The Delaware Aging Expo

The Delaware Aging Expo showcases a line-up of expert speakers and resources, designed to make the most of life as you age. Topics range from Brain and Memory Health to Legal and Financial Planning and everything in between.

Please share the registration information with your friends, family members, other caregivers and anyone that is aging in Delaware that could benefit from this resource information.
Delaware Aging Expo- Agenda (Tentative, subject to change)
Tuesday May 25, 2021
9:00 -10:00- A Positive and Strong Outlook About Aging
10:00-10:30-A Healthier You- Free Evidence Based Self-Management Programs
10:00-11:00-“Not Your Grandparents’ Senior Centers: Centers for Active Adults”
10:30-11:00-Assistive Technology- A Virtual Tour of What’s Available
11:00-11:30-Affordable Housing Resources
11:00-12:00-Caregiving- A Real Life Conversation
12:00-1:00-Lunch-Caregiver Connection Breakout Room (Tentative)
1:00-2:00-Legal Planning
2:00-2:30- Medicaid-Unraveling the Mystery
2:00-3:00- DSAAPD Services-Overview and Information About Services
2:30-3:00- A Journey Through Life: Independent Living to Long-Term Care- A Conversation
Wednesday May 26, 2021
9:00 -10:00- Coffee Talk - A Discussion with Legislators about Aging in Delaware- Q&A
10:00-11:00-Conversations about Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias
10:30-11:00-Assistive Technology- A Virtual Tour of What’s Available
11:00-11:30- Living with ADRD-
An Interview
11:00-12:00-Delaware’s Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias Resource Panel
11:00-12:00- Scam Alert! Don’t Be A Victim
11:10-11:30- “It’s Ok!”- Caregivers and Mealtime
11:30-12:00- About the Caregiver Resource Center Network
11:40-12:00- Healthy Nutrition as You Age
12:00-1:00-Lunch
1:00-1:30- Mindfulness
1:30-2:30- Zumba Gold- A Live Fitness Class
1:30-2:00- Forever Fit
1:30-2:00- Job Support and Employment as You Age
2:30-3:00- GrandPad-Easy Communications and Connections Using Technology
Please Click on the banners below to visit the DSAAPD and ADRC websites