How can I get my father to join a Parkinson's disease support group?

I'm a big fan of support groups. If your father is apprehensive about seeing other patients with Parkinson's disease who are further along in the illness, what I'd say to him is: "Yes, you may see someone who's considerably impaired because of Parkinson's. But for every one person you see having trouble, you'll meet four or five others who are doing great, despite having had the condition for many years. And even the person who looks more impaired may simply be having a bad day symptom-wise. The support group experience is usually very encouraging because some members may have had Parkinson's much longer and they're still doing just fine."

I recommend that the adult children of Parkinson's patients go to one meeting of a support group beforehand to preview it for their parent. Knowing what you know about your father, you can give him your take on whether this will be the right group for him, because groups have their own personalities. For instance, if your parent is relatively young and vigorous but the group is made up of much older folks, it might not be a good fit, and you'll want to check out another one.

To help motivate your father, you might offer to go to the local support group with him the first time. People often think of support groups as psychotherapy. Maybe your father doesn't want to sit at a table with a group of people and share his personal story. It may be less daunting for him to know that Parkinson's disease support groups like those organized through the American Parkinson Disease Association and the National Parkinson Foundation often host monthly meetings that focus on a topic presented by an invited speaker. Afterward, there may be refreshments and time to meet and visit with other families. I find that these groups are highly encouraging to patients. You may have to beg your father to go the first time, but you probably won't have to nag him to go back.