Central Bucks Parkinson's Support Group | ABOUT

OUR MISSION

The mission of the Central Bucks Parkinson’s Support Group is to engage, empower and provide emotional support to those of us who have Parkinson’s disease. We face PD coming from many backgrounds. We are people first, linked in a common bond, not defined by the disease, but by our daily triumphs to fight back and normalize our lives as best we can.

2020/2021 has thrown new challenges in our direction. We’ve lost a few of our members to the Coronavirus or complications of PD. Our meetings have become virtual and we miss the comradery of our fellow Parkies. We miss the exercise groups to which we gave our wholehearted enthusiasm.

Supported by Doylestown Health and in cooperation with The Parkinson Council, it is our goal to provide you with information, events and programs that will inspire and inform everyone involved with our group. 2022 will continue to provide many of the same challenges we saw this year. Looking at “virtual” as an asset for the coming year instead of a restriction, we hope to find guest speakers with different points of view on many of the topics we have covered in the past.

THEN, NOW AND TOMORROW

This year we continue to expand on the 20+ year legacy of Mary Jane Barr-Silk and the Doylestown Hospital Parkinson’s Disease Support Group, building on a solid history of goodwill and support to a growing number of people diagnosed with PD in the area, touching hundreds of lives and families. Statistics indicate that in the U.S. 60,000 more people are diagnosed with PD each year, some in Bucks and eastern Montgomery Counties.

In a world of ever changing conditions, this group has stood the test of time and remained this region's “go to” when a Person Living with Parkinson’s (PLP) or their care partners begin incorporating the power of group dynamics into their treatment network. The support group has assisted individuals get out of the “PD google search” and shown hundreds this is not a disease you have to fight alone. Their attention to the latest research and medical advancements have been extremely helpful in weeding through the web. Each month the group comes together as one on the second Tuesday of the month at 1:30 pm at the Health and Wellness Center in Warrington, PA, to listen, learn and to just be their selves in an enriched environment where any stigma is left at the door.

The future of the Central Bucks Support Group is only growing brighter. Consistent reevaluation and membership involvement will continue to strengthen our bonds. In addition to the monthly lecture series, question/answer discussions, open forum conversation, and breakout sessions, social engagements like grant-funded art classes, golf and bowling groups have spawned, adding to the camaraderie. This supportive collaboration between medical interventions, group interaction, and community centered fitness opportunities, can re-charge an individual by empowering them with education thereby creating optimal health and function.

All are welcome and encouraged to join!
Contributions by Kristin McCoach and Jeff Roberts

OUR ADVISORY BOARD

PAULA HERBER

Coordinator

MARY JANE BARR-SILK

Advisor Emeritus

Mary Keunecke Fitness Coordinator

JOHN HERBER

Website

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