Care Partners – University of Colorado Movement Disorders Center

April 11 is World Parkinson Disease Day. The faculty and staff at the University of Colorado are proud to work with the Parkinson Community. While patient care is a large part of our care for the Parkinson’s community, there is a lot more they do outside of the clinic.

The Anschutz Medical Campus is a training facility for upcoming medical providers. Our faculty participates in the education of young medical students and residents. Additionally, we have a movement disorders fellowship program to train the next generation of movement disorders neurologists. In addition to becoming part of our own faculty, these trainees have gone on to serve movement disorders communities in underserved areas and continue clinical research in their own practices. You can learn more about our program and its importance by visitng our Fund-a-Fellow page.

Our faculty are also leading research to find new therapies or better understand Parkinson disease. This research can include trials of potential new medications or devices. It also includes research projects initiated by our own faculty that help patients and care partners. If you are interested in learning more about our research, we have a research catalog and a research website for you to view. If you are interested in participating in clinical research, contact our research recruitment team. Many resources are available in English and Spanish.
e-mail: NeuroResearch@cuanschutz.edu
phone: 303-724-4644
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In 2022, our faculty provided 64 formal talks to patients, care partners, medical providers, and medical learners. These talks were regional, national, and international. Our faculty finds so much value in providing access to updated information to the Parkinson’s community to help them take control of their health. If you are interested in having someone speak to your group, please reach out to movement@ucdenver.edu.

In addition, we will host our 10th Annual Parkinson Disease Symposium on October 28, 2023. Follow our Facebook page for updated details. You can look for an event page on our website soon. We look forward to an informational and exciting day with many special extras this year.

The University of Colorado Movement Disorders Center looks forward to continuing these missions in 2023 and beyond. We look forward to connecting with you.

November is Care Partner Appreciation Month and we really appreciate the Care Partners in the Movement Disorders Community. We are grateful for all they do to support our community and want to make sure they are taken care of too.

In order to make sure those care partners are getting the care they need, we’ve put together a list of resources and self-care ideas. These resources are intended for Care Partners of any movement disorders unless otherwise noted.

Resources

Meghan Smith, LCSW created a handout of local resources and ideas for self-care timeouts. You can view, download, and print the document here.

The Supportive and Neuropalliative Care Clinic has a list of resources on their website too. You can see upcoming events and featured news articles, information for patients and care partners, and an additional list of resources.

The Parkinson’s Foundation has put together a list of resources for their November initiative, #BeASelfCareGiver. You can find the top ten list here.

Support Groups

A Support Group for Care Partners led by Cari Friedman, LCSW is offered virtually on the 3rd Tuesday of every month at 2:00 PM. Open Zoom Video Conferencing and enter the meeting ID (96935032229) and password (916562).

Another Support Group for Care Partners is led by Malenna Sumrall, PhD and Care Partner Advocate on Mondays at 7:00 PM. Please email Malenna.Summrall@cuanschutz.edu for more information.

Educational Events

The Supportive and Neuropalliative Care Clinic hosts its Care Community Series on the second Tuesday of every month at 4:00 PM. Join them on November 9 to hear “How Meditation and Mindfulness Can Support Your Well-Being,” given by Jenine Camins of UQMindfulness. No registration is required. You can join via Zoom Video Conferencing using this link. Click here for the poster.

The Parkinson’s Association of the Rockies is offering its third annual Care Partner Summit Exclusively for Care Partners of People with Parkinson’s Disease. This event will be Saturday, November 20 from 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM at the Hyatt Regency Aurora-Denver Conference Center. You will have the opportunity to hear Dr. Christina Vaughan of the University of Colorado Supportive and Palliative Care Clinic speak. You can register here.

Thank you to all of the Care Partners in the Movement Disorders Center. You are an important part of our community. We cannot say it enough.