Care Partners

The Flathead Valley Caregivers’ Support Group is held on the 4th Wednesday of every month at 1:30pm and will begin meeting again in-person on March 23rd, 2022. The meetings are held at the Flathead County Planning and Zoning Office at 40 11th St W., Suite 220 in Kalispell. This meeting is limited to care partners of people with Parkinson’s. Please send a message to our Contact page if you are interested in being notified of further updates on the Caregivers’ Meetings or if you would like to be contacted by the facilitator of the Caregivers’ Support Group. On this page, you will find additional resources for caregivers including support groups and educational material.

New Online Programming Just For Care Partners: Getting Real® Virtual – 1/23/23 @ 11AM (MT)
Attention Carepartners! This is for YOU! – See dates and times below
Care Partner Burnout Assessment Tool
THE BENEFITS AND BURDENS OF BEING A PARKINSON’S CARE PARTNER

How OFF Impacts Care Partners – 11/15/22 @ 1pm (MT)

Upcoming Sessions of Powerful Tools for Caregivers

Real Talk: Care Partner Discussion Group

Real Talk Care Partner Discussion Group is designed exclusively for those who are caring and supporting someone on their journey with Parkinson’s or other movement disorder and is looking for a deeper level of conversation. This uniquely focused group offers a place to engage and process the more difficult topics while enhancing connection, encouraging dialogue, and offering shared experiences between its members. This social worker facilitated group may either focus on the material from a specific video from the Getting Real! Online video library in a roundtable discussion or engage in an open discussion based on the needs of the group. Come as you are and settle in, it is time for some Real Talk!
4TH TUESDAYS

To Join By Video

3:00 pm Mountain
4th Tuesday of Each Month

CLICK HERE TO JOIN ZOOM LINK

TO JOIN BY PHONE

Dial By Your Location

+1 346 248 7799 US (Houston)
+1 669 900 6833 US (San Jose)
+1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma)
+1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)
+1 646 558 8656 US (New York)
+1 301 715 8592 US (Washington D.C)

Meeting ID: 926 7709 3985

Passcode: 863054

According to survey data, care partners spend about 46.7 hours per week caring for their loved one. This is a big responsibility. Many care partners worry who will provide for their loved one if they’re not able to and face real challenges in finding time to care for themselves. In this program, we’ll explore the top 5 care partner challenges and impacts on emotional health, and we’ll provide you with the tools to regain balance and ask for help.

11/9/22 @ 1pm (MT)

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER FOR THIS WEBINAR

Care partners need information that is reliable and comprehensive without having to waste precious time digging through the vast options online that may not be reputable or only scratch the surface. Getting Real Online™ is that resource!

Getting Real!™ Online is an online community for care partners, adult children, and family that includes an educational video library covering topics from symptoms to practical tips for management, all in short, bite-sized videos you can access anytime day or night. The community also includes chat groups, and members can join monthly facilitated discussions and roundtable groups offered live via Zoom. This program is only for care partners, adult children, and family who help care for someone with Parkinson’s.

CLICK HERE FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

https://www.apdaparkinson.org/
November is National Family Caregivers Month

In November we are recognizing and honoring family care partners across the country. Care partners are integral to each Parkinson’s disease journey and while they should be celebrated year-round, now is a great opportunity to give them the special focus they deserve. Throughout the month of November, we will be highlighting APDA resources that support and educate care partners.
Care partner basics: Our Becoming a Care Partner supplement is a great overview full of useful guidance for all PD care partners, including tips for taking care of yourself as well as a helpful list of resources for additional information and support.
Common Care Partner Questions: Care partners are often the ones who notice when a symptom has changed, who cajole their partners to improve their lifestyles and encourage them to follow doctor’s orders, who investigate the newest treatments – in short, to act as another set of eyes and ears along the PD journey. Here are some of the most common questions we receive from care partners, along with our answers.
A Conversation with a Care Partner: In this episode of Dr. Gilbert Hosts, APDA talks with Lianna Marie, a trained nurse, PD care partner, PD advocate and author, for an insightful and personal conversation about navigating care for people with PD.

CARE PARTNER MONTHLY MEETUP

WITH CONNIE CARPENTER PHINNEY

The first Tuesday of every month
12 pm Mountain Daylight Time
(11 am PDT, 1 pm CDT, 2 pm EDT)

If you could use some extra support during these challenging times, please join us for our Care Partner Monthly Meetup. During these one-hour sessions, Connie Carpenter Phinney (and other care partner special guests) will hold some space to discuss the concerns, challenges, and questions that many Parkinson’s care partners have today.

Connie has been a care partner to her husband and our founder, Davis Phinney, since his diagnosis 20 years ago. She has a wealth of knowledge and experience to share, but even more so, as a fellow Parkinson’s care partner, she “gets” you in a way very few people do. So, come with your questions or come just to be in the presence of others who are traveling a similar path. If you need support and are eager to find additional ways to connect with others through meaningful conversations, you’re going to love this hour each month with Connie.

SIGN UP FOR THE MEETING
Join us for a virtual event filled with information and inspiration unique to your Parkinson’s journey.

THE VICTORY SUMMIT® VIRTUAL EVENT SERIES

The Victory Summit is going virtual to reach more people than ever before with information and inspiration to live well today. Each event will focus on unique information for your unique Parkinson’s journey.

Sign up to be notified when registration opens for the next event in the series.

During this online event on Saturday, November 13, 2021, you will learn from and interact with Parkinson’s care partner experts, Parkinson’s care partners, and mental wellness professionals who will help you become the care partner your person with Parkinson’s needs without burning out, losing yourself, and losing the joy of life. By the end, you will have a whole new community of support at your fingertips and a toolbox of practices that will help you thrive as a Parkinson’s care partner.

Whether you have just begun caring for someone who has been diagnosed with Parkinson’s, are dealing with a substantial progression of symptoms, or you’ve been caring for someone who has had Parkinson’s for a long time, a strong support network is critical to your own well-being.

The truth is unless you’re a medical professional who has been caring for people as your life’s work, having to step into the role of care partner is a big change and often a significant stressor. And it can take its toll on you – physically, emotionally, spiritually, and otherwise. This can lead to caregiver burnout or in its extreme, compassion fatigue, where you become overwhelmed physically, emotionally, spiritually, and socially to the point where you’re unable to care for yourself or others.

PREVIEW THE AGENDA
REGISTER

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