"Get Connected" Parkinson's Campaign

The Parkinson's Disease and Movement Disorders Center is launching a new campaign in April for Parkinson’s Awareness month. Our initiative is called “Get Connected,” and there are so many ways of doing this! The goal of this project is to provide all people with PD and their care partners with resources in the community to combat isolation and foster self-awareness. 

Below we highlight programs in the region that are part of this campaign. Whether it is a support group, clinical trial, an exercise or movement class you will find ways to get connected with the PD community. You are not alone on this journey.

Andrew Siderowf, MD, the Hurtig and Stern Chair of Movement Disorders, states, “It’s a lot easier to fight back against Parkinson’s when you have a team behind you. Networking with other people with PD can give you tips for living well, insights on what to expect from medications and an inside track on new treatments and research.” Being around others who have PD can be empowering. Many of the thoughts and feelings expressed in support groups are common, and it can be comforting to know that you share these with others.

So get connected! Join us, tell a friend, and get the word out!

Resources Available for Parkinson's Patients 

Therapy

• Physical Therapy
  • Includes therapy that focus on walking, balance/coordination, flexibility, and endurance in order to improve safety and efficiency with movement during all stages of the disease.  
  • For more information, call the DAPRC at 215-829-7275
• Occupational Therapy 
  • Occupational therapy can help people at any stage of Parkinson’s—right after diagnosis up to and including later years of disease—with any task that is difficult to perform or may become impacted by PD. 
  • For more information, contact Julia Woods.
• Speech Therapy
  • Communication is a two-way street, so it is important for the person with PD and their caregivers to understand the typical speech, voice or language changes that people with PD experience.
  • For more information, call Meredith Pauly at Penn Therapy and Fitness: 215-829-7275

Movement and Arts

• Dance for Parkinson's Disease
  • Dance for PD has been available in the Philadelphia area for the past eight years. Dance for PD is fun: a wide, lively range of music (show tunes, oldies, folk, world music and more) and movements suitable for seated and standing dancers. 
  • For more information, please contact Keila Cordova (for Philadelphia class) and The Parkinson Council for all other classes in and outside the city.
• Close Contact for Couples
  • In this training program, couples are taught to move like dancers, learning to shift weight, to verbalize the movement they are about to do, and to make eye contact. 
  • For more information, please contact Judith Sachs or call: 609-577-1928
  • Rock Steady Boxing for Parkinson's 
    • The DAPRC at Penn Therapy & Fitness was the first in Philadelphia to introduce Rock Steady Boxing to the Parkinson’s community six years ago. This is a non-contact boxing-based fitness curriculum tailored to those with PD.
    • For more information, contact Joellyn Fox at the DAPRC or call: 215-829-7275
  • Yoga
    • Theresa Conroy Yoga Therapy, located in Lafayette Hill, just outside Philadelphia, specializes in group and private yoga classes for PD patients. 
    • For more information, contact Theresa Conroy or call: 215-888-9123
  • Parkinsingers
    • The Parkinsingers are more than a choir. We welcome PWP’s, their care partners and friends to sing, but also to support one another in many different ways. 
    • For more information, contact Marjorie Samoff or call: 215-668-0116
  • Accessible Art at the Philadelphia Museum of Art (PMA)
    • PMA has offered a range of workshops for individuals with PD, together with their care partners. These workshops were designed to provide a relaxing supportive environment for patients. 
    • For more information, contact Marissa Clark or call: 215-684-7602

  Research

  • Being involved in our research community here at the PD&MDC can keep you connected in many ways.
    • For more information contact Suzanne Reichwein or call: 215-829-7273

  Education

  • Getting accurate information is critical, especially as it pertains to a chronic condition such as Parkinson’s disease. Individuals and their care partners have an opportunity to attend a multitude of programs we offer at the PD&MDC.
    • For more information, please contact Josue Etienne. 

  Support

  • Counseling
    • The counseling program at the PD&MDC offers supportive mental health services for both the patient and the care partner. 
    • For more information, contact the counseling line at 215-829-6688 and one of the counselors will return your call.
  • Patient Support Groups
    • The PD&MDC at Penn promotes 48 support groups in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware. 
    • For more information, please contact Yuliis Bell at 215-829-6500
  • Carepartners Workshop
    • Caring for a loved one with Parkinson’s can be stressful, physically demanding and isolating. The Supportive Older Women’s Network (SOWN) telephone workshop connects PD care partners through teleconferencing in the comfort of their own home. 
    • For more information, please contact Patty Davis, LCSW, senior social worker, or call: 215-487-3000, ext. 25.

  Advocacy

  • The Parkinson Council
    • The Council invests in research, education, and programs provided by world-renowned institutions and innovative service organizations in the greater Philadelphia area.
    • For more information, contact The Parkinson Council or call: 610-668-4292
  • The Parkinson’s Foundation
    • The Parkinson’s Foundation is the nation’s leading community for people living with PD, those who love them and those who are working to end the disease. 
    • For more information, contact The Parkinson's Foundation or call our bilingual helpline, which is staffed by PD experts who can provide the latest information on medications, treatments and tips at 800-473-4636

  Events

  For a full list of upcoming events during Parkinson's Awareness Month throughout Philadelphia and the surrounding suburbs, please view them in our Spring Transmitter Newsletter. 

  Learn More About Movement Disorders Schedule an Appointment