Support Groups

Oregon & Southern Washington

PRO support groups
Parkinson's Resources of Oregon (PRO), formerly Will Cope, places support groups at the center of their program while working to improve the overall quality of life for people with Parkinson’s disease and their families.

Greater Seattle area and Eastern & Western Washington

APDA support groups
American Parkinson’s Disease Association is a national organization established to help patients, family members, and caregivers cope with Parkinson's disease.

Classes

Movement and exercise classes
Information about these classes is posted on the Parkinson Center of Oregon (PCO) website. (Portland)

PCO events
The Parkinson Center of Oregon (PCO) presents an annual symposium for patients and families living with Parkinson’s disease. They also offer several workshops each year for the newly diagnosed. The PCO is part of the Movement Disorder Program at Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU). The NW PADRECC works in conjunction with the PCO and shares some of the same faculty members and facility spaces. (Portland)

PRO classes
Parkinson’s Resources of Oregon (PRO), formerly Will Cope, provides movement and general education classes for people with Parkinson’s. They also offer classes specifically for caregivers. (Oregon & Southern Washington).

Local Resources

Parkinson's Resources of Oregon
www.parkinsonsresources.org

Provides people who have Parkinson’s disease and caregivers support through groups, exercise & movement classes, newsletters, a library, and other helpful programs and events.

Washington State Chapter of the American Parkinson Disease Association (APDA)
www.waparkinsons.org

Information sharing -- articles, links to other sites with Parkinson's information, and notices of groups, classes, and other events scheduled in the Washington State area.

PaGeR: Parkinson’s Genetic Research Group
depts.washington.edu/pgrgroup/NewFiles/index.html

Research-focused group based in Seattle currently studying the link between environmental and genetic factors in Parkinson’s.

Northwest Parkinson’s Foundation
www.nwpf.org

Washington state non-profit charity raises money to help fund a Parkinson’s care center and research.

Parkinson's Center of Oregon (PCO)
www.ohsu.edu/pco

The PCO is the OHSU counterpart to the PADRECC. This site offers more general information on Parkinson's Disease as well Research Opportunities, Patient Resources, and patient Events.

National Resources

The National Parkinson Foundation (NPF)
www.parkinson.org

Provides information for everyone from the newly diagnosed individual to those who have had the disease for a long time. This site has an excellent section on medications to treat Parkinson's disease and related problems, holistic and botanical alternative approaches, and future drug therapies. NPF has a "Public Forum" section for patients and care partners to share their research, management of the disease, tips, and emotional support.

Parkinson's Disease Foundation (PDF)
www.pdf.org

Offers programs to advance Parkinson's science through research, education and fundraising. Site is a good resource for information on latest studies, treatment options, and research findings. PDF also hosts an on-line question forum for people with Parkinson's.

Parkinson's Action Network (PAN)
www.parkinsonsaction.org

PAN advocates for the investment of public resources to ease the burden and bring a cure to those who suffer from this disease.

Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research
www.michaeljfox.org

This foundation is involved in current research and lobbying for increased funding for research.

MEDLINEplus: Parkinson's Disease
www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/parkinsonsdisease.html

Links to recent news reports and to topics such as coping, diagnosis/symptoms, disease management, nutrition and research.

Parkinson's Disease Control
www.parkinsonscontrol.com

Short video programs and written transcripts on various aspects of PD, focusing mainly on how to control symptoms.

Holistic-Online.com: Parkinson's Disease
www.holistic-online.com/Remedies/Parkinson/pd_home.htm

Information about alternative/integrative therapies as well as modern western medical treatments.

HealingWell.com: Parkinson's Disease
www.healingwell.com/parkinsons/

Community and information resource for patients, caregivers, and families coping with diseases, disorders and chronic illness.

The Movement Disorder Society
www.movementdisorders.org

Information about the society's international forums and recent advances in movement disorder research.

Worldwide Education & Awareness for Movement Disorders (WE MOVE)
www.wemove.org

Excellent place to find current literature and research, including links to other sites that detail current clinical trials.

Lee Silverman Voice Treatment
www.lsvt.org

This treatment focuses on improving functional communication in individuals with neurological disorders, with a specialty in Parkinson's disease

Restless Legs Syndrome Foundation
www.rls.org  

Self-help strategies that go beyond drug therapy. Includes a survey you can take to determine if you may have this condition.

Society for Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (Society for PSP)
www.psp.org

Provides information, education, support, and advocacy to persons diagnosed with PSP, their families, and caregivers. The Society for PSP educates physicians and allied health professionals on PSP and how to improve patient care.

Sleepnet.com
www.sleepnet.com
An educational, non-commercial site devoted to improving sleep health worldwide.

Books

Lucky Man: A Memoir by Michael J. Fox.

Michael J. Fox begins his memoir by talking about the first signs of what he would discover to be Parkinson's disease. The self-indulgent days as a young star through his denial and hiding of his illness to his final acceptance and then advocacy for people with Parkinson's make a fascinating story.

300 Tips for Making Life with Parkinson’s Disease Easier by Shelly Peterman Schwarz

Consumer text filled with tips, techniques, and shortcuts the author learned from her personal experience and from the people around her. Discusses saving time and energy, becoming more organized, and being independent.

Shaking Up Parkinson Disease: Fighting Like a Tiger, Thinking Like a Fox by Abraham N. Lieberman, M.D.

This book covers anatomy and chemistry changes, diagnostic tests, the autonomic nervous system, and how PD affects the body and the mind. Especially good is the section on anxiety and depression as a biological rather than a psychological symptom of the disease.

Parkinson's Disease & the Art of Moving by John Argue

Explains how to make exercise a part of the Parkinson's disease patient's daily regimen. Ten lessons with over 100 photographs show people with Parkinson's how to improve flexibility, balance, gait, and communication.

Parkinson's Disease: A Complete Guide for Patients and Families by William J., Md. Weiner, Lisa M., Md. Shulman, Anthony E., Md. Lang

This comprehensive book provides up-to-date information on symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, and management of Parkinson's disease to help people cope with medical, emotional, and practical challenges. Texts, illustrations, and tables offer detailed information on the use of medications and on diet, exercise, complementary therapies, and surgery.

Behavioral Health and Clinical Neurosciences Section
Phone: 503-721-1091
FAX: 503-402-2961
email: nwpadrecc@va.gov