Meeting | Open Forum

Our July 20, 2025 Meeting Is An Open Forum Meeting

Parkinson’s (PD) patients newly diagnosed (5 years or less) will be seated with PD patients who have more than 5 years of PD experience. Any guest (care partner, family member, neighbor, etc.) will also be seated with their PD patient. Anyone who is only interested in learning about PD will be scattered among the tables.

To help us match attendees of different years of PD experience, when you sign in at the door, you will be asked one of the following questions:
Are you a PD patient diagnosed 5 years or less?
Are you a PD patient diagnosed more than 5 years ago?
Are you not a patient or care partner, but just interested in learning about PD?

Based on your answer, we will give you slip of colored paper. By using the paper colors, one of our volunteers will seat you and your guests at a table.

We understand that sitting at a table with strangers discussing personal topics may be uncomfortable, but please keep in mind that everyone at this meeting has an interest in learning how to live successfully with Parkinson’s.

To help start the table discussions, we will provide a list of topics and questions, and each table can choose from the list.

All PD patients will have an opportunity to share their own experiences of living with PD. They can share what works and what hasn’t worked. They can ask questions related to PD life. They can help each other, by sharing solutions they used for any issues, concerns, problems, etc. We encourage everyone to tell what has helped them. Sometimes, even less experienced patients may have learned a new trick and/or technique for solving problems that an experienced patient may not know about. Caregivers/guests also have an opportunity to participate and contribute to these discussions.

Our Open Forum meetings have been one of our most popular meetings because our support group members tell us they learn about PD things that they cannot find anywhere else. They learn information directly from other PD patients and their care partners about living with Parkinson’s.

Important – Please note that any private or personal information discussed at each table is not to be shared elsewhere!

We look forward to having you joining us and participating at our Open Forum!