Partners in Parkinson's, a strategic health initiative of The Michael J. Fox Foundation (MJFF) and AbbVie, launched in 2014 with the goal of increasing access to educational content and support services for people living with Parkinson's disease (PD), families and caregivers. Since then, the program has connected with more than 20,000 members of the PD community through online resources and at 25 free, full-day events in cities across the United States -- with two more live events added for 2017.
Countless testimonials attest to how meaningful the program has proven to be, such as this survey comment from an attendee of the February 2016 Tampa, Florida Partners in Parkinson's event: "My husband has been having a hard time with his Parkinson's diagnosis and this is the first time he has been open to an educational opportunity. He found out about a local Parkinson's exercise class and attended it today. Big step!"
An attendee of the October 2016 New York City Partners in Parkinson's event added: "I feel more comfortable... more knowledgeable, more connected and more hopeful."
On-demand Video Gallery and Webinars: Available Anytime, Anyplace
In an effort to make the live event programming accessible to everyone regardless of geographic location, Partners in Parkinson's launched a new online video gallery featuring a "virtual event" that includes recordings of the panels and breakout sessions from the May 14, 2016, event held in Oakland, California. Panels include an interactive mock appointment with a movement disorder specialist, an update from scientists on the latest Parkinson's disease research, conversations with patients and care partners on living with Parkinson's disease and advice on how to build a care team to address all aspects of life with PD.
The video gallery also includes a number of community stories. A researcher explains the importance of clinical trial participation; a nurse practitioner highlights the need for a personalized care team including specialists and allied health care providers; people with Parkinson's share how the disease has impacted their life and how they live well with PD; and care partners share perspectives on supporting a loved one with the disease.
Visit www.partnersinparkinsons.org/watch-our-videos to begin watching this content today.
As part of 2017 programming, Partners in Parkinson's will host two live events in Grand Rapids, Michigan on June 10 and in Orlando, Florida on October 28, as well as offer four new live webinars as a virtual option for staying up-to-date on PD resources. Previous Partners in Parkinson's webinars are available on-demand and have covered topics such as how to assemble a care team and what to expect as PD advances, and have featured guests such as Lonnie Ali, widow of Muhammad Ali, who shared insights for care partners supporting a loved one with PD.
Additional Tools Available Online
In addition to the content mentioned above, the Partners in Parkinson's website offers comprehensive information about PD and connects community members with AbbVie Parkinson's Disease Advocates, who are available to provide one-on-one support anywhere in the United States. Users can also access the first online tool to locate a movement disorder specialist near them, developed in collaboration with the International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.
Visit www.partnersinparkinsons.org to access all these resources and help optimize your care at every stage of the disease.