Verde Valley Medical Center (VVMC) is hosting a free Parkinson’s disease support group from 4 - 5:30 p.m., Friday, March 11 in Conference Room C. The meeting is open to patients, family members, caregivers and anyone interested in learning about Parkinson’s disease.

The topic, “The aging brain – it’s not as bad as you think,” is presented Linda Yee, R.N. As a registered nurse, Yee worked the majority of her career as an emergency department nurse in San Diego. After retiring she relocated to Sedona to care for her elderly mother. Yee was instrumental in the establishment of the Sedona Sunrise Center for Adults, where she still serves as the president of the board of directors and works as a nurse. Her special interests include working with family caregivers and speaking about the issues of aging.

Parkinson’s disease belongs to a group of conditions called movement disorders. It is both chronic and progressive, meaning its symptoms grow worse and continue over time. Some common symptoms of Parkinson’s are tremors of the hands, arms, legs or jaw; rigidity or stiffness of the limbs and trunk; slowness of movement; and postural instability or impaired balance and coordination.

As many as 1 million Americans suffer from Parkinson’s disease, and 40,000 new cases are diagnosed each year. On average, the onset age for Parkinson’s disease is 60 years old; however, an estimated 15 percent of Parkinson’s disease patients are diagnosed before the age 50.

To learn more about the programs and services offered at Verde Valley Medical Center, visit VerdeValleyMedicalCenter.com. For more information about VVMC’s Parkinson’s support groups or to learn about other support groups held at VVMC, please call 928 639-6383.