The Monterey Parkinson’s Disease Support Group (MPSG) was started in the mid-1990s by Pacific Grovian Helen Garrett whose husband was a Parkinson’s patient for several years. At that time, many local residents had been car-pooling up to Mountain View to attend programs about PD issues. They gladly supported the idea of a local group which would meet on a regular basis to learn and to share.
MPSG operates under the auspices of Parkinson’s Patients Support Groups of Northern and Central California, Inc. whose mission is to provide support and information to the Parkinson's community, including those who have been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease or parkinsonism, and their caregivers, families and friends. (www.ppsg.org)
An all-volunteer group, MPSG meets from 3:00 – 4:30 PM on the second Tuesday afternoon of every month except December. Location is the Sally Griffin Active Living Center, 700 Jewell Avenue in Pacific Grove. Our many members come from all over the Monterey Peninsula, North Monterey County, and Salinas. Donations are accepted but not required. Attendance at meetings varies between 30-40.
Informative programs are presented by local professionals with expertise in a variety of subjects related to living with Parkinson’s, such as medication, speech and physical therapy, exercise programs, neurological issues, diet. There is always time for Q&A. Some programs are devoted to small group discussions so that members may learn from each other and share ideas.
Members are involved in various ways, such as program development, recruiting speakers, helping with refreshments, name tags, web-site or other IT issues. A small group also plans enrichment activities such as Museum visits and exercise opportunities. Our vision for the future is to be a supportive group where many members share leadership and participation for the benefit of all.
Parkinson’s patients who live in the area are welcome to visit and participate along with their “support person” if they wish.
Questions: kip@redshift.com
-Kip Hudson
Disclaimer
Content on our site is provided for informational purposes. Our site includes links to sites maintained by others. MPSG is not responsible for content on those sites. Please remember that medical decisions should always be made in consultation with your physician or health care provider.