Let's Talk About Loneliness and Parkinson's: The Parkinson's Podcast Unfiltered
Release Date: 06/05/2025
Freezing in Crosswalks, Gratitude, and Saying Goodbye: The Parkinson's Podcast Unfiltered Finale
The Parkinson's Podcast
Learn more about Parkinson's and find support: https://dpf.org In the series finale of the Parkinson's Podcast Unfiltered, hosts Heather Kennedy, Kat Hill, and Chris Krueger answer audience questions, including how to handle well-meaning strangers who grab you when you're frozen or struggling to walk. The conversation turns to what they're each grateful for after years of living with Parkinson's, from the people they've met to the deeper lessons in patience, self-compassion, and acceptance. They also open up about why the podcast has become harder to sustain as their own symptoms progress....
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Parkinson's, Love, and Making Room for the Hard Stuff
The Parkinson's Podcast
Learn more about Parkinson's and find support: In this episode, Kat's husband Ken joins the panel to talk through the realities of planning ahead, from living trusts and hard family conversations to knowing when your plan needs to change. The conversation also takes on the language of "fighting" Parkinson's, and why both Kat and Ken have moved toward something more like partnership with the disease than battle. Along the way, the panel gets into the tension between independence and asking for help, and what honest communication actually looks like in a relationship shaped by chronic illness....
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Sexual Health, Levodopa Myths, Hypoxia Research, and More with Dr. Bas Bloem, Pt 2
The Parkinson's Podcast
Learn more about Parkinson's and find support: In part two, Dr. Bas Bloem and Polly Dawkins tackle some of the most pressing topics in the Parkinson's community. They address sexual health, levodopa phobia head-on, share breakthrough research on intermittent hypoxia, and discuss the overlooked connection between gut health and medication effectiveness. This episode offers both cutting-edge science and practical guidance for living well with Parkinson's. Sign up for updates on webinars, events, and resources for the Parkinson’s community: Podcast Produced by Sia Urroz, Davis Phinney...
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Holistic Approach to Parkinson's: Exercise, Supplements, and More With Dr. Bas Bloem, Pt. 1
The Parkinson's Podcast
Learn more about Parkinson's and find support: In this first part of our two-part conversation, Dr. Bas Bloem and Polly Dawkins discuss why a holistic approach to Parkinson's care matters. They explore the latest evidence on exercise as a disease-modifying treatment, the critical role of supplements and nutrition, and how optimizing every aspect of your life—from sleep to stress management—can transform your quality of life. Whether you're newly diagnosed or living with Parkinson's for years, this conversation offers practical, evidence-based strategies for taking control of your...
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How Our Approach to Living With Parkinson’s Changes as It Gets Harder
The Parkinson's Podcast
In this episode of the Parkinson's Podcast Unfiltered, the group is joined by a special guest to respond to a listener’s question about how their relationship with Parkinson’s has changed over time. Together, they talk through the different ways they have named and understood Parkinson’s since diagnosis, including ideas of fighting, endurance, acceptance, and daily negotiation. The conversation moves between personal stories, practical coping strategies, and reflections on how identity, energy, and priorities shift as symptoms progress. Rather than settling on one way of framing...
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Parkinson’s Clinical Trials: Red Flags, Safety, and What to Consider
The Parkinson's Podcast
In this episode of the Parkinson’s Podcast, Chris Krueger talks with a clinical research team from University of Toronto about how the clinical trial process works, how participants can have the best experience in a trial, and why a team approach to trials is necessary and good. In this episode, you’ll hear from Dr. Alfonso Fasano, Dr. Arturo Abundes Corona, Sara Naghdlou, a clinical research coordinator with a background in biomedical engineering; and Yu-Yan Poon, a registered nurse who supports trials at the University of Toronto. This episode is sponsored by BlueRock Therapeutics. Sign...
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Home Independence and Safety in Parkinson’s: What to Plan for at Each Stage
The Parkinson's Podcast
Occupational therapist and aging-in-place expert Carol Chiang joins us to discuss her new book, Age in Place or Find a New Space. Carol explains why meaningful interactions—not just safety—belong at the center of planning for life with Parkinson’s, and how “the choices you make today become the consequences you live with tomorrow.” In this podcast episode, Carol discusses the importance of early-stage steps like decluttering and fall-prevention basics, practical visual cueing for freezing, how to break home updates into manageable pieces, and honest caregiver conversations. Carol...
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Parkinson's Related Exhaustion, Personal Care Challenges, and Why Exercise Helps
The Parkinson's Podcast
In this episode of the Parkinson's Podcast Unfiltered, hosts Heather Kennedy and Kat Hill, along with Chris Krueger, honor their late friend Wayne Gilbert and explore the challenging distinction between fatigue and apathy. They offer practical advice for managing energy levels, including the counterintuitive insight that more movement can actually reduce tiredness, and share tips for grandparents navigating visits with multiple grandchildren. The conversation also tackles personal grooming struggles, with candid solutions like wash-and-go haircuts, dry shampoo, and simplified self-care...
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Gene Therapy for Parkinson’s: Myths vs. Facts
The Parkinson's Podcast
In this episode of the Parkinson’s Podcast, learn about gene therapy for Parkinson’s, including common misunderstandings and ongoing research about it. This episode contains some technical terms and abbreviations. For your convenience, here is a short list of definitions that might be helpful. AADC – Aromatic L-Amino Acid Decarboxylase: An enzyme that helps make dopamine (not a rock and roll band) AAV – Adeno-Associated Virus: A harmless virus used to deliver gene therapy CDNF – Cerebral...
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Pickleball and Parkinson’s: Building Dexterity, Balance, and Community
The Parkinson's Podcast
In this episode of The Parkinson’s Podcast, Foundation Program Manager Beau Boughamer talks with neurologist Vanessa Hinson and Helen Power, a person living with Parkinson’s, about the sport that’s sweeping the country—and transforming life with Parkinson’s. Dr. Hinson, a movement disorder specialist at the Medical University of South Carolina, shares how pickleball supports balance, coordination, confidence, and connection through her eight-week program for people with Parkinson’s. Helen describes how the game brought her movement, joy, and community, proving that staying...
info_outlineTo subscribe to our podcast and YouTube channel visit: https://www.youtube.com/@davisphinneyfdn/podcasts
In their first episode back after a break for Parkinson's Awareness Month and some time to tend to personal needs, Heather and Kat dive into a candid conversation about loneliness. Prompted by a listener’s question, they explore how Parkinson’s can impact friendships and what it means to navigate shifting social dynamics. Stay tuned: more episodes of Unfiltered are on the way!
Ask Heather and Kat a question here: https://dpf.org/unfiltered
To learn more about the Davis Phinney Foundation for Parkinson's visit: https://dpf.org
Season 6 Episode 11