The diagnosis of Parkinson's is, generally, life-changing. But it's not all bad. In this episode Dr. Abigail Lawler offers some guidance for the newly diagnosed and their care partners.

Care partners of people with Parkinson's: these are people with angel wings. But one of the traps of taking care of someone with Parkinson's is not taking care of yourself. In this episode Jessie Agrimis, DPT, looks at some of the ways care partners can be good to themselves, can stay strong, so everyone can lead stronger, healthier, happier lives.

Parkinson's Association Mentor Program
https://mentors.parkinsonsassociation.org/

NeruoLab360
https://www.neurolab360.com/

Parkinson's Association of San Diego
https://parkinsonsassociation.org/

With a Parkinson's diagnosis, home safety becomes an issue, particularly if falling manifests as a symptom. In this episode Paige Hargis, who works for the Trauma Service at Scripps Memorial Hospital in LaJolla as the Injury Prevention and Community Outreach Coordinator, looks at some of the options and resources to make a home safer.

Resources:

Parkinson's Association of San Diego Resource Center:
https://parkinsonsassociation.org/courses/pasd-resources/

CDC "Check Your Risk" Form
https://www.cdc.gov/steadi/pdf/STEADI-Brochure-StayIndependent-508.pdf

San Diego County Aging and Independent Services
https://www.sandiegocounty.gov/content/sdc/hhsa/programs/ais.html

Jewish Family Services "FixIt" program
https://www.jfssd.org/our-services/older-adults/home-safety-modification/

North County Interfaith Services home assessment
https://www.interfaithservices.org/program/self-sufficiency-supportive-services/

Dementia. This is a very difficult topic in Parkinson's, both for the person who is starting to experience dementia and for the person caring for their loved one.  In this episode Dr. Abigail Lawler, movement disorder specialist and medical director of the Parkinson's Association of San Diego, looks at some of the day to day issues faced by both people with Parkinson's and their care partners.

https://parkinsonsassociation.org/

Downsizing. Is the idea terrifying? Or something to look forward to? Gerontologist Jonathan Schwartz looks at the challenges and upsides – along with some available resources – of moving into a smaller, easier to manage space.

Jonathan is the founder of Partner in Aging:
https://partnerinaging.com/

Check out the Resource Center on the Parkinson's Association of San Diego website:
https://parkinsonsassociation.org/courses/pasd-resources/

Entering a hospital, for any reason, is almost aways stressful, and that's compounded if you have Parkinson's. In this episode Dr. Abigail Lawler, movement disorder specialist and medical director of the Parkinson's Association of San Diego, looks at some of the concerns for a care partner and has some guidance on managing the early stages of a hospital visit.

Aware in Care Hospital Kit:
https://www.parkinson.org/Living-with-Parkinsons/Resources-and-Support/Hospital-Kit

The Parkinson's Association of San Diego
https://parkinsonsassociation.org/

We've heard from everybody – doctors, nurse practitioners, dietitians, coaches, personal trainers – why it's so important for people with Parkinson's to exercise. In this episode Jessie Agrimis, DPT and co-founder of NeuroLab360, gives us a physical therapist's perspective on why it's critical that people with Parkinson's have a consistent exercise routine.

For more information on NeuroLab360, click here:
https://www.neurolab360.com/

For more information on the Parkinson's Association of San Diego, click here:
https://parkinsonsassociation.org/

Each year the Parkinson's Association of San Diego holds a 5K walk at Liberty Station in San Diego.  In this episode, 2022 walk chair Lisa Evans gives us a short look at the reasons we hold the Walk, some of her expectations, and some of the amazing stories she's seen at prior Walks.

To register for the 2022 5K Walk, click here:
https://raceroster.com/events/2022/54177/fighting-parkinsons-step-by-step-5k

For more information on the Parkinson's Association of San Diego, click here:
https://parkinsonsassociation.org/

When people think about weight management, usually it's related to weight loss. But in Parkinson's it might be more important to maintain or even add weight. Registered dietitian and nutritionist Marty Acevedo discusses managing your weight while living with Parkinson's.

https://parkinsonsassociation.org/

What happens if you have Parkinson's and you're in physical therapy and your insurance for PT runs out. This is often a difficult situation if you get to a point where you are benefiting from PT but your insurance company says your PT is no longer medically necessary. In this episode Jessie Agrimis, DPT and co-founder of NeuroLab360 addresses this issue.

https://parkinsonsassociation.org/
https://www.neurolab360.com/

NeuroLab360 – a non-profit rehabilitation and wellness center specializing in working with those with neurological challenges such as Parkinson's disease – has opened in San Diego. Founder and president Jessie Agrimis, DPT spent a few minutes with us to describe the facility, the services, and the reasons she and her partners opened NeuroLab360.

https://www.neurolab360.com/
https://parkinsonsassociation.org

Peeing. Another topic that if you are living with Parkinson's, you've probably talked about. Urinary issues are common in Parkinson's and here to give us a brief overview is Nurse Practitioner Sherrie Gould.

https://parkinsonsassociation.org/

Oral dopamine – one of the most common prescribed drugs for people with Parkinson's. But how do you best manage taking the dopamine with your meals? Registered dietitian Marty Acevedo looks at timing your food intake – particularly protein – with your Carbidopa/Levodopa.

https://parkinsonsassociation.org

Normally, when we talk about weight loss, we're talking about trying to lose weight. But that's not always the case, especially if you're living with Parkinson's disease – it may be that you need to put some weight back on. For more on managing weight with Parkinson's, here is nurse practitioner Sherrie Gould.

https://parkinsonsassociation.org

It might not be for everyone, but there is some research that fasting could have some benefit for people with Parkinson's. Registered Dietitian Marty Acevedo takes an objective look at fasting – what is it, what are the benefits, what are the risks.

https://mentors.parkinsonsassociation.org/

One of the diets that has been in the news recently is the keto diet. This is a nutritional plan that involves eating fats as a high percentage of your daily intake, putting your body into a state of ketosis. However, this is not without its downfalls and dangers. Here to give us an honest look at the keto diet is registered dietitian Marty Acevedo.

https://parkinsonsassociation.org/

Sleep. Is it your favorite thing? Or is it elusive. Sleep disorders can be part of Parkinson's, and here to tell us a bit more about dealing with sleep dysfunction is nurse practitioner Sherrie Gould.

https://parkinsonsassociation.org/

Although everyone with Parkinson's can experience different symptoms, as no two cases of Parkinson's are identical, some of the common symptoms are quiet speech, difficulty swallowing, and occasional drooling. In this episode nurse practitioner Sherrie Gould takes a look at those three symptoms and some of the things your medical providers can do to help.

https://parkinsonsassociation.org/

What you eat is so important to your health regardless of whether you have Parkinson's. In this episode Marty Acevedo, a Registered Dietician and Nutritionist and a board member of the Parkinson's Association of San Diego, looks at the Mediterranean diet and some of its advantages for anyone living with Parkinson's.

https://parkinsonsassociation.org/

The Parkinson's Association of San Diego's website is filled with information that can help every person living with Parkinson's and their families and care partners. In this episode, Executive Director Chris Buscher takes us through some of the highlights of the website.

https://parkinsonsassociation.org/

Do you ever feel dizzy, or light-headed when you stand up? This is often due to low blood pressure, a very common symptom in Parkinson's. Known as neurogenic orthostatic hypotension, nurse practitioner Sherrie Gould explains some of the causes of low blood pressure in Parkinson's and some of the things you can do to combat it.

https://parkinsonsassociation.org/

Continuing our discussion on fatigue in Parkinsons, Nurse Practitioner Sherrie Gould looks at exercise and other ways to combat this very common symptom in Parkinson's disease.

https://parkinsonsassociation.org/

Fatigue can be a frustrating yet common symptom in Parkinson's Disease. In this episode of the Parkinson's Association of San Diego Microcasts, nurse practitioner Kathy Huynh talks about fatigue, being tired, and some of the things you can do about it.

https://parkinsonsassociation.org/

One of the early symptoms of Parkinson's is something called micrographia, which  is small handwriting. In this episode of the Parkinson's Association of San Diego Microcasts nurse practitioner Sherrie Gould gives us a little background on micrographia and some of your options to address it.

https://parkinsonsassociation.org/

Mood disorders – apathy, depression, anxiety, and others – can be common symptoms in Parkinson's disease. In this episode of the Parkinson's Association of San Diego Microcasts nurse practitioner Kathy Huynh talks about some of these non-motor symptoms in Parkinson's and what you – and your movement disorder specialist – can do about them.

https://parkinsonsassociation.org/