Parkinson’s support group offers community, network in Fairfield

FAIRFIELD — When Jeff Wilson was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2019, he felt something was missing from the care provided by clinical settings.

“Parkinson’s is not one size fits all, there’s a variety of motor and non-motor symptoms, and it effects everybody differently,” he said. “The neurologist or your doctor can’t tell you everything.”

To fill that gap, Wilson started attending the monthly Parkinson’s support group at the Jefferson County Health Center, after it was suggested by a friend who knew about it. The sessions — aimed at Parkinson’s patients and their caregivers — often focus on practical elements not easily encompassed by traditional therapy.

“Our class yesterday, they had an occupational therapist (and) she said obvious things, but a lot of that stuff is still news to us,” Wilson said. “She had some eating utensils, the occupational therapist, that I hadn’t heard of before … It’s just little hints like that, that you get out of the support group that you just don’t come across otherwise. You get a half-hour or 45-minute appointment with a neurologist, and they just don’t go through all that.”

JCHC Speech Language Pathologist Michelle Boeding-Kreuter, who facilitates the program, said patients were encouraged by working with others in their situation.

“From what I’ve observed, the benefit is from a social standpoint, the patients and the caregivers can go and see that they’re not the only ones going through the disease,” she said. “From that standpoint, I think that helps people not feel so alone.”

As an SLP, Boeding-Kreuter is arguably overqualified to facilitate the group, but she said it was a matter of interest to her.

“Every meeting is very rewarding, and I don’t just do it because I’m here, I actually do find it very rewarding,” she said. “The patients are really fun to get to know, and they all have a different perspective … and I also find that as a therapist, I do enjoy helping people.”

While the group only formally meets on the first Tuesday of every month for an hour, Boeding-Kreuter said the members took the initiative to go the extra mile on their own time, a habit that makes it even more beneficial.

“I may set things up and help, but the group is essentially about them and what they need,” she said. “I’m just the person that sets things up. I know that the group members have been active among themselves, and that’s very important, that networking piece.”

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