World Parkinson's Congress 2019 Update

Hello all This post is long overdue as a follow up to the WPC 2019 which was in Japan in June! Another incredible learning and networking experience. The WPC website has alot of archived material from the congress as well as ongoing blog pieces which are excellent. Check the site out to get excited about attending WPC 2022 in Barcelona! I did take pics of many posters on a variety of topics including dance, art, music, self management, mindfulness, caregiver support, CBT, new diagnosis programs as well as some new initiatives on intergenerational programs and medical student engagement programs. If anyone would like me to send the pictures of posters on any of these topics, let me know and I am happy to share. Happy Summer Elaine

Article on the Role of Social Work in PD care

Hi all I just wanted to share a recent publication in "Social Work in Health Care". The article is called " Clinical social work in the care of Parkinson's disease: role, functions, and opportunities in integrated health care" and here is the link https://doi.org/10.1080/00981389.2018.1544600 Also wondering if anyone is attending the WPC 2019 in Kyoto this June. There will be a social workers networking evening on Wednesday June 5. Kind regards Elaine

Having difficult conversations

Hi all I have been asked to do a talk on "having difficult conversations" including driving, safety, accepting help, respite, facility care, cognitive change implications etc. I am just doing my research and wondered if anyone has any resources that they have used in the past or your favorite tips to share. Thanks Elaine

WPC 2019 program ideas

Hi All It was nice to see many of you at NPF CLC meeting in Kansas City. I am involved with the program committee for WPC 2019 in Japan and I am inviting you to share any program topic ideas that you would like to see at the conference. It could be a speaker you saw at WPC 2016 that was amazing and should be repeated or something that was missed or something completely new. Send your ideas and I will take them forward to make WPC 2019 another great experience. Elaine

National Social Work Month

Hi all Well as we are tuned into this blog from different countries, it seems that March is Social Work Month or week somewhere in the world. Here is an opportunity to promote our role and contributions to the team and patient care. There are so many creative ways to do this. Host a lunch and learn on a topic of interest, create a fact sheet on what you do in your clinic, find an article and circulate with a message about SW week. Options are endless. I am planning to invite my team to lunch (BYOL of course) and I will provide desserts which is "stressed" spelled backwards! Write in and share any of your ideas to celebrate social workers! Elaine

Hello to all, This is long long overdue! Upon return from WPC 2016 in Portland, I came back excited and inspired and loaded down with new contacts and resources to share with colleagues and patients/families. Just to remind everyone that many of the sessions are available the WPC website so if you were unable to attend the conference or unable to attend a particular session, check out the website. The Social Work Networking meeting was a great success and we had the amazing good fortune of having Dr. Julio Angulo speak to us about Shame and PD. He indicated that he welcomes future inquiries and to share his website www.movingforwardwithpd.com Please feel free to share any highlights or pearls from the conference with all of us, Best Elaine

WPC 2016 Kick off!!!

Hello all It has been a long time since there has been activity on this blog and given that this week is the launch for WPC 2016 in Portland, I thought I would post to get the excitement going! Having attended this meeting in the past, I can first hand encourage you, your colleagues and patients to consider attending this one of a kind meeting that joins speakers, health professionals and patients/family in one place. Check out the website for more exciting details! Any questions...don't hesitate to ask! Elaine

World Parkinson Congress

Hello All Just a reminder of the social work networking meeting being held on Thursday, Oct 3/13 at 6:30pm in Room 511D. The information is not on the WPC website so I thought I would send out this notice. Spread the word and looking forward to connecting with everyone. Elaine

World Parkinson Congress- Social Work Networking Meeting

Hello All
This amazing meeting is less than a month away and the opportunities for learning and connecting with other allied health professionals abound.

We are creating an opportunity for social workers from around the world who are attending the Congress to get together for an informal networking event.  It will be time to meet each other (33 social workers are registered!), learn about programs/research/activities from other clinics, collaborate and inspire one another.

The networking event will be held on Thursday October 3/13 at 6:30. For room details, please check the WPC website in the coming weeks.

For planning purposes, please let us know if you are able to join us. Email either myself (elaine.book@vch.ca) or Kathryn Brosseau (kathryn.brosseau@albertahealthservices.ca) with your name, institution and country.

We look forward to meeting you in Montreal!

Elaine and Kathryn

New patient package

Hi everyone
We are the Pacific Parkinson's Research Centre in Vancouver, Canada are starting to look at creating a package to give to new patients of the clinic. I am wondering if any of your centres have something similar and what kinds of materials do you include?
Any info is appreciated...
Thanks
Elaine

Book resources

Hello all,
I was just recently at the NPF Allied Team Training for Parkinson (ATTP) meeting in Denver and in talking with other social workers, I shared some good book titles and thought I should share them with everyone. Some of you may know of these, but I thought I would still share. 

Hard Choices for Loving People by Hank Dunn and available at www.hardchoices.com

PD: Mind, Mood and Memory is available through NPF

Psychiatric Issues in PD by Matthew Menza and Laura Marsh

Health Connect: a practical guide to community outreach is available at www.medtronic.com/community

Patient Education for People with PD and their carers by Marcia Smith Pasqualini and Gwenda Simons.

Please feel free to share any gems that you may have on your bookshelf!!

Best,
Elaine

Allied Team Training Program, NPF

Just wanted to send a note alerting all social workers that the  next Allied Team Training Program with NPF is planned for March 6-9 in Denver. This is an excellent opportunity to immerse yourself in PD and to connect with other social workers, teams, and centres to learn and share ideas about working with people/families with Parkinson's. 

If you would like more information, please look at the NPF website under "professionals" or feel free to contact me.

Best
Elaine

NPF Centre Leadership Conference

Hi there
Just realized that the centre leadership conference in Miami is next week and I am wondering if any of you might be attending and if so, would you like to meet together at lunch as we have done in the past. With a shortened conference, networking time is limited and thought lunch might be a chance to connect...
Elaine

Travel tips

Well summer has finally arrived in Western Canada and our patients are talking alot about travel over the next few months. You may already be aware of a great travel tip sheet available on the NPF website called "Parkinson's Onboard: Traveling with PD".  At this time of year, I make a few copies and leave them in our waiting room for patients to pick up!

If anyone has any other similar resources, feel free to share.
Enjoy the summer
Elaine

April is Parkinson's Awareness Month

April can be an exciting time in centers and clinics around the world as Parkinson's Awareness Month is recognized and celebrated. NPF has a number of suggestions to raise awareness for individuals as well as for centers. I actually put together a handout with easy ideas and have left it in our waiting room for patients to pick up. Easy ideas like attending a PD fundraiser or planning a casual day at the office to raise funds and awareness, or ordering a t-shirt or wristband from www.pdf.org. Raising awareness activities can be a very empowering part of managing life with PD.

Would love to hear other ideas or activities that you have been involved in with Parkinson's Awareness Month!

Elaine

Celebrate Social Workers

It is National Social Work Month! Hooray for us! Check out your local and national organizations for a variety of events being held to recognize the valuable work we do.

As I skimmed through some websites, the themes for present and past Social Work month celebrations do nicely describe our roles in society.

Social work matters
Social workers change futures
Social work inspires
Social work means purpose and possibility
Social workers stand up for others
Social work: Building on Strengths
Social work: Help start here
Social work helps people help themselves
Social work: building relationships, strengthening community and partnering for change

Happy Social Work Month!

Elaine

Institute for Health Care Improvement

Just wanted to share an interesting educational opportunity that I recently discovered. The Institute for Health Care Improvement offers free live interactive audio broadcasts on a variety of different topics with expert guest speakers. Recently I participated in a broadcast on end of life preferences and it was really interesting. They also have past broadcasts archived so you can listen to programs that have already occurred. The website also lists upcoming programs. For those of us in Canada, it sometimes has a USA slant, but some of the programs may still be of interest.
Enjoy!
Elaine

Mindfulness

While mindfulness practice has been around for a long time, it is really gaining popularity. So I have been on the search for simple materials to introduce mindfulness to my patients.

I came across some good information on mindfulness and chronic illness on the Northwest Parkinsons Foundation website (nwpf.org) I found it under the wellness tab, then under persoanl healing, then personal healing tips and the specific article is called Silence the Mind with Mindfulness Therapy. If anyone else has a mindfulness resource, please share!

The start of December tends to be the start of a busy time for many. Perhaps we can all benefit from some mindfulness practice!

Best of the holiday season to all!
Elaine

Aware in Care project

Hi there
Just heard from NPF that the www.awareincare.org site should be live November 18th!
Check it out!
Elaine

2011 NPF Center Leadership Conference

The NPF Leadership conference was recently held in Chicago with great representation from Social Work! In addition to the speakers and poster session, the social workers had the opportunity to meet over lunch to share information about the social work role at their centres as well as an exchange of ideas.

NPF also launched the Aware in Care campaign (designed to help people with PD get the best care possible when hospitalized) and I would encourage all of you to look at the website (www.awareincare.org) to learn more about it.

Janis Miyasaki, neurologist at Toronto Western Hospital Movement Disorders Center, presented on Palliative care and PD with some new and interesting ways of looking at advanced PD. Her power point may?? be available on the NPF website.

If anyone else who attended would like to share a highlight from the meeting, please do!

Elaine