November 2019 Newsletter and Calendar
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Kicking Off the Annual Appeal
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The 2019 Annual Appeal will soon be on its way to you. We hope you will be among the first to show your support for PD Active.
New community members are contacting us every week, and as a result PD Active is serving more people than ever before. This is good news, but all our services rely on your ongoing support. We need your help to allow us to continue our existing activities, and improve, expand, and offer new programs. Please consider donating today at:
www.pdactive.org/donate/
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November Forum - Dr. Chad Christine on Clinical Trials
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UCSF Neurologist Dr. Chad Christine will speak at our November Forum. His talk is titled, "A Primer on Clinical Trials to Advance Parkinson's Disease Treatment." Dr. Christine will describe the basic stages of clinical trials in clinical research using recent PD studies as specific examples.
Dr. Christine completed his medical degree with honors in research at Cornell Medical College in 1991. He completed Neurology Residency at UCSF in 1995. Since then, he has developed far-ranging interests in PD. His research interests include: 1) discovery of new risk factors for PD 2) identification of factors that affect PD progression, 3) developing methods for earlier diagnosis of PD, and 4) improving PD treatments.
Dr. Christine’s research has included participation in both medical and surgical treatment studies. His most recent work explores the prevalence of low vitamin B12 status in PD.
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Date
: Saturday, November 9, 2019
Time
: 10:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
1924 Cedar Street, Berkeley, CA 94709
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Tech Assistance at the November Forum
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Immediately after Dr. Christine concludes, we will offer technical help with specific cellphone and tablet applications. These include:
- Setting up emergency contact information.
- Turning on accessibility settings.
- Using voice typing.
- Using the virtual assistant.
If you will be attending the November Forum and are interested in getting assistance with your phone or tablet, please contact us at
info@pdactive.org. This will help us get a sense for how many tech advisers we'll need.
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PD Active Monthly Calendar
The calendar includes classes initiated with financial support from PD Active.
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Forum with Dr. Chad Christine on 11/9/2019 at 10:30 a.m.
Forum with Angela Rusher, PT on 1/11/2020 at 10:30 a.m.
Annual Info Fair on 2/8/2020 at 2:30 p.m.
Forum with Neurobiologist David Presti on 4/18/2020 at 10:30 a.m.
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Stephen Tobriner Retiring from the Board
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Stephen Tobriner served diligently on the PD Active board where he was always willing to share his wisdom with humor. He has been especially helpful in providing a historical perspective about our organization to new board members. We are grateful that he has promised to stay involved. Here are his remarks when he announced his retirement:
It has been my great honor and privilege to serve for six years on the Board of Directors of PD Active. Ours is a unique and inspiring organization conceived by and for people with Parkinson’s.
Herb Heinz, along with a group of people with PD, after experiencing a Parkinson’s dance class, decided to create social and physical interactions and activities for Parkinson’s sufferers by founding PD Active in 2008. The late Joan Bernstein appointed me to the Board as the first non-Parkinson’s person in 2013. I served four Presidents, Peter Rugh, Frieda Dilloo, Mary Pat Boersma, and Chad Zucker.
Although I am retiring from Board I will serve PD Active in any way I can. Both my wife Frances (diagnosed in 1988), and myself feel that PD Active has given us an invaluable compassionate community which sustains and nurtures us as we face the challenges of PD.
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Claudine Naganuma's New Book
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Dance for PD
® teacher, Claudine Naganuma has published a new book titled
Peace About Life: Dancing with Parkinson's. She conducted interviews with people with PD and brought those audio interviews into the dance studio. Initially, curious as to how people first discovered that they had PD and and its effects, Claudine's inquiry later expanded to include doctors and neurosurgeons.
Peace About Life compiles and shares the wisdom of those living with PD and the professionals who care for them as these are the people who are best informed. Claudine hopes that the book will start a dialogue about support, the role of creativity and community empowerment.
This article was adapted from this
post
by Claudine Naganuma.
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New Tuesday Be Heard! Group
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This new Tuesday Be Heard group uses the tools learned in Thursday Be Heard! Voice for Parkinson’s class. The gathering begins with warm-ups led by KT Warren and Ed Silberman, followed by each student telling personal stories on a common theme (e.g. a job you held, a place you traveled, or someone important to you).
Speakers will be coached by KT for volume, speech clarity, and vocal color. You’ll practice real conversational skills, providing a great opportunity to get to know other participants better while combating the isolation Parkinson's can bring on. Put your Be Heard! knowledge to work and build your community in conversation.
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Day and Time: Tuesdays from 1:30 - 2:30 p.m.
1414 Walnut Street, Room 7, Berkeley, CA 94709
Fee: $25/drop in, $80/monthly, punch card options also available
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We thank everyone who joined us on October 6th at Live Oak Park for this year's annual PD Active picnic. There was great food, great conversation and great company. We're already looking forward to next year.
*Photos by Diane Dew
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Berkeley Support Group - Moving Location November 21st
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Due to a change in Berkeley Public Library policy, the Berkeley support group will be moving
this month starting November 21, 2019 to the
Albany Community Center at 1249 Marin Avenue in Albany. The group will continue to take place on the third Thursday of each month from 2 to 4 p.m. at this new location.
The group has been renamed to the Berkeley/Albany Support Group.
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Mental Health Treatment Clinic at UC Berkeley
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The UC Berkeley Psychology Clinic is offering specialized mental health treatment for patients and care partners coping with neurological conditions, including Parkinson's Disease. This clinic is designed to provide mental health services, including individual, couples, and group therapy, for issues such as depression and anxiety that may be associated with these conditions and caring for those coping with these conditions.
This clinic will run until May 2020. In an effort to reach those in need, this clinic operates on an income-based sliding scale.
To inquire about services please call (510) 642-4459. The clinic requests that callers leave a voicemail indicating that you're calling about the specialty clinic.
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November 5 - Free Seminar for the Newly Diagnosed
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Parkinson’s Institute and Clinical Center is offering a Newly Diagnosed Patient Education Seminar on November 5th that will cover:
- Understanding the Diagnoses
- Current Concepts of the Cause
- Treatment Strategies for Early Parkinson’s
Date and Time: Tuesday, November 5, 2019 from 4 - 6 p.m.
2500 Grant Road, Main Bldg., Ground Fl., Mountain View, CA 94040
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Seeking Participants - Occupational Therapy Study
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Students in the Doctor of Occupational Therapy Program at Samuel Merritt University are currently conducting a study. They are looking at the efficacy of therapeutic putty based exercises on the quality of movement and strength in people with Parkinson’s Disease.
Participants will come to the Samuel Merritt University Motion Analysis Research Center (MARC) once a week on Thursdays between 1 and 4 p.m. for an hour, two weeks in a row, and have a phone interview two weeks after the second visit.
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Seeking Participants - Stanford's SPRING Study
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Stanford is hosting a community outreach event on November 16th for their new Brain Initiative-sponsored study, the SPRING study, investigating closed-loop deep brain stimulation for impaired gait and freezing of gait in Parkinson's disease. The purpose of the event is for interested patients to learn more about the study as well as meet the research/clinical team.
There will be a talk by Dr. Bronte-Stewart at 10:00 a.m. followed by an open discussion.
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Date and Time: Saturday, November 16, 2019 from 9:30 - 11:30 a.m.
213 Quarry Road, Palo Alto, CA 94305
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Don't Forget to Carry Emergency Contact Info
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Here is a handy guide for preparing emergency medical information. We urge all community members to prepare this information and keep it accessible and on your person at all times. Above all keep the name and number of the person to contact with your health care card.
If you have an iPhone you should fill out the
Health app that comes with the phone. This app can be used in emergency even if the phone is locked.
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Joan Allen
Paula Blasier in memory of Patricia Needle
Monique Buffler and Gabriel Griego
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PD Active is a 501(c)(3) so contributions are tax-deductible. Tax ID: 26-3302461
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Up Your Impact, Give Monthly
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Contact us to set-up up a monthly, recurring donation to PD Active. It's easy to do, and secure. We would be happy to tell you more and walk you through the process. You can set-up a recurring gift for any amount and every contribution is meaningful. Email us at
info@pdactive.org or call at (510) 479-6119.
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We rely on you, our generous PD Active members, and your friends and family members, for our core financial support. It's easier than ever to help:
- To donate by credit card
- To donate by postal mail: PD Active, P.O. Box 9246, Berkeley, CA 94709
- To donate by PayPal
Use Your IRA
: You no longer need to wait until the end of the year to distribute your required minimum distribution (RMD) from your IRA. A quick reminder that if you are over 70
1/
2
you are eligible to use your RMD to make tax-free donations to qualified charitable organizations. No gift is too small, so please keep us in mind when evaluating your IRA.
- Recurring credit card donations
- Stock or Donor Advised Funds
- Planned Giving - Property or other assets through your will or estate plan
- Automobile
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PD Active Activities, Descriptions & Locations
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Local Classes for People with PD
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www.pdactive.org - (510) 479-6119 - info@pdactive.org
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