MEDIA ADVISORY - Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center, 2002 Holcombe Blvd., Houston, TX 77030  www.houston.va.gov

Free Parkinson’s Disease Caregiver Conference:
“Practical Aspects of Parkinson’s Care”

WHAT:           The Parkinson’s Disease Research, Education, and Clinical Center (PADRECC) at the Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center and Houston Area Parkinson Society presents the 3rd Annual Parkinson’s Caregiver Conference:  Preparing for Change.  This is a free conference for caregivers of patients with Parkinson’s Disease focusing on helpful, practical information for managing the challenges of caring for someone with Parkinson’s disease. Lunch will be served. Registration is required.

WHEN:          Saturday, December 8, 2012, 8:30 a.m.  – 2 p.m.

WHERE:        United Way
                      50 Waugh Drive
           Houston, TX  77007

CONTACT:   To register by phone, call 713-626-7114; email registration: 
 info@hapsonline.org.  Registration deadline is Wednesday, December 5. For more information, please call Pamela Willson at 713-794- 7287 or pamela.willson@va.gov.

BACKGROUND:
                      The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) took a major step toward improving patient care and pursuing a cure for Parkinson’s disease by establishing six PADRECCs, one at the Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center in Houston.

Operating as a national consortium, each PADRECC conducts research covering basic biomedicine, rehabilitation, health services delivery, and clinical trials.  Each is participating in a landmark clinical trial to assess the effectiveness of surgical implantation of deep brain stimulators in reducing the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease.

The National Parkinson Foundation, Inc. estimates that up to 1.5 million Americans have Parkinson’s disease and that approximately 50,000 new cases are diagnosed each year. VA medical centers treat at least 40,000 Parkinson’s disease patients every year.
# # #