Gathering Summary: July 2025 Support Group Meetings
Online Support Groups Offer Comfort and Guidance for Parkinson's Community
Navigating life with Parkinson's disease can be challenging, but a variety of online support groups are available to offer comfort, guidance, and a sense of community. These groups cover a range of topics and frequencies, catering to different needs and preferences.
One such initiative is PD Health @ Home by the Parkinson's Foundation, offering weekly virtual programs including Mindfulness Mondays, Wellness Wednesdays, and Fitness Fridays. These sessions provide guided relaxation, expert-led webinars on Parkinson's-related topics, and PD-tailored fitness videos, respectively.
The Parkinson and Movement Disorder (PMD) Alliance hosts monthly specialist webinars on the third and fourth Wednesdays, as well as weekly video support groups on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays.
For women with Parkinson's, Twitchy Woman provides monthly webinars and peer support programs.
Caregivers will find solace in virtual caregiver support groups run by HopeHealth in Massachusetts and Rhode Island, with dementia caregiver groups held multiple times weekly.
Some groups focus on related conditions like Lewy Body Dementia, such as The Biggs Institute's Parkinson's Disease and Lewy Body Dementia support groups, meeting online monthly or biweekly.
| Group/Program | Topics | Frequency | Platform | |-------------------------------|----------------------------------|-----------------------------|-----------------| | PD Health @ Home | Mindfulness, wellness, fitness | Weekly (Mon, Wed, Fri) | Online webinars | | PMD Alliance | Specialist webinars, support groups | Monthly specialist webinars; weekly support groups | Online videos/support groups | | Twitchy Woman | Women's PD topics, peer support | Monthly webinars | Online | | HopeHealth Caregiver Groups | Caregiver support, dementia | Multiple days weekly | Zoom | | Biggs Institute PD Support | Parkinson's and dementia topics | Monthly or biweekly | Zoom/online & in-person |
Carers Chat meetings, facilitated by Parkinson's NSW counsellors, provide a safe space for carers and spouses of someone living with Parkinson's. These meetings are not recorded, and the discussions have included empathy burnout, Carer Gateway services, panic attacks, journalling, resilience, and mindfulness.
An Early/Young Onset group is available for people living with Parkinson's who are under the age of 65 years. These meetings feature discussions with health and allied health professionals. Recordings from these meetings are only shared with people who register for the meetings.
The Let's Talk Parkinson's group discusses various topics presented by health professionals, including a discussion and Q&A session. Meetings for this group are recorded and added to the Living Well with Parkinson's library on YouTube.
Quarterly meetings are held for individuals considering or who have DBS or an advanced therapy such as Apomorphine or Duadopa. These meetings are not recorded for public distribution, and recordings are shared only with people who register for the meetings.
Future support group visits are planned for Murwillumbah, Narrabri, Macarthur, and Orange.
To join any of these support groups, simply send an email to supportgroups@our website.
The science of healthcare and mental health is integrated within online support groups like Carers Chat, which provides a safe space for carers of individuals with Parkinson's to discuss topics such as empathy burnout and mindfulness, fostering a sense of community. Furthermore, health-and-wellness topics such as mindfulness, wellness, and fitness are explored in the weekly virtual programs offered by PD Health @ Home, supporting the mental health of those affected by Parkinson's disease.
