NEW YORK, April 20, 2020 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- In honor of Parkinson's Awareness Month, the World Parkinson Coalition (WPC) is holding its first ever WPC Care Partner Virtual Panel Series to offer support and guidance to Care Partners and family members of people living with Parkinson's on how to address hard to discuss topics and manage Parkinson's as a team where both the person with Parkinson's and care partner are supported. This four-part series will launch on Tuesday, April 28, 2020.
The WPC hosts the most unique international scientific conference in the Parkinson's space. Every three years at the World Parkinson Congress, the WPC brings together basic scientists, neurologists, general physicians, nurses, rehab specialists, clinicians, as well as people with Parkinson's (PwP) and care partners to learn about Parkinson's, build collaborations, and expand our understanding of a disease that impacts more than 10 million people worldwide.
"While the World Parkinson Congress is a scientific meeting, we pay close attention to the needs of people with Parkinson's and care partners since we understand the importance of quality of life while living daily with PD," said Elizabeth Pollard, WPC Executive Director. "At each World Parkinson Congress, we host a room called the "Care Partner Lounge" with small group discussion and support sessions around care giving that address many of the issues we'll be discussing in this virtual panel series."
Care partners often report a need for support but sometimes find it's hard to get the support they need when they need it. A Parkinson's diagnosis is one that impacts the whole family and because it's a degenerative disease that progresses slowly, many care partners fill this role for decades, sometimes with little guidance or support. Because not all care partners can attend the triennial World Parkinson Congresses and take advantage of the in-person Care Partner Lounge, the WPC decided to take the Care Partner Lounge virtual to better support this community.
Presenters in the series are experts in nursing, social work, neurology and more. Each panel will also highlight one couple that is living with Parkinson's and invite them, as the true experts, to discuss how they handle the topic at hand.
Registration and details can be found at https://www.worldpdcoalition.org/carepartner
Webinar #1: Medication Management and the Role of the Care Partner
Date: Tuesday, April 28, 2020 Time: 3 – 4:00 PM ET / 12 – 1:00PM PT
Webinar #2: Mental Health and Parkinson's
Date: Thursday, July 9, 2020 Time: 3 – 4:00 PM ET / 12 – 1:00PM PT
Webinar #3: Cognition, Caring, and Coping
Date: Monday, September14, 2020 Time: 3 – 4:00 PM ET / 12 – 1:00PM PT
Webinar #4: Wellness: Approaches Beyond Medication
Date: Wednesday, December 9, 2020 Time: 3 – 4:00 PM ET / 12 – 1:00PM PT
"Being a part of this new virtual Care Partner Lounge panel series is exciting, as it is an expansion of a very well received program at the WPC," said WPC Care Partner Lounge creator and program committee member, Elaine Book, MSW, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada. "I always look forward to planning new offerings in the Lounge at each World Parkinson Congress, and am pleased we can bring the community together virtually in this way to highlight care partner challenges and reach and support an even broader audience. Care Partners experience their own unique journey and this series of virtual panels is designed to support them along the way. No one should feel alone in their Parkinson's journey."
Learn more about and register for the WPC 2020 Care Partner Virtual Panel Series at https://www.worldpdcoalition.org/webcast
This Care Partner Virtual series is made possible with support from Adamas Pharmaceuticals and US WorldMeds.
About the World Parkinson Coalition® and WPC 2022
The World Parkinson Coalition Inc. provides an international forum for learning about the latest scientific discoveries, medical practices, caregiver initiatives and advocacy work related to Parkinson's disease. The triennial World Parkinson Congresses provide a space for the global Parkinson's community of researchers, clinicians, health care professionals, people with Parkinson's and their care partners to meet in person, network, and discuss advances in Parkinson's research, improve understanding and promote advocacy worldwide, while influencing future research and care options. The WPC 2022 will attract more than 4,500 delegates.
About Parkinson's Disease
Affecting nearly one million Americans and 10 million people worldwide, Parkinson's disease is the second-most common neurodegenerative disease after Alzheimer's. There is no cure for Parkinson's and 60,000 new cases are diagnosed each year in the United States alone.
SOURCE World Parkinson Coalition
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