Beaverton: A Conversation about Cognition and Parkinson's (In-Person)

In recognition of June being Brain Awareness Month, PRO is presenting a valuable in-person talk about cognition and Parkinson’s.

Nearly 50 percent of all individuals with Parkinson’s will at some point experience mild cognitive changes. These changes can affect your attention, the speed of your mental processing, word finding, making a plan or solving problems, and even visual skills like recognizing faces and depth perception.

In this talk, Wes Smith, MA, CCC-SLP and Brent Waroniecki, OTD, OTR/L will address what to look for – what are normal age-related cognitive changes and what is an indicator to speak with your care team.

Both speech language pathologists and occupational therapists are experts in helping address cognitive changes. Wes and Brent will explain the approaches their respective disciplines use when working with clients who are experiencing cognitive changes, as well as share practical tips and strategies for managing these changes.

This will be an interactive presentation where you will gain actionable information that you can immediately apply in your daily life.

This in-person talk will be held on Monday, June 9, at 3:00pm at PRO's main office in Beaverton

PRO's Mike Mulligan, Community Health & Education Coordinator will be facilitating this event. Please contact Mike with any questionst at bWlrZSB8IHBhcmtpbnNvbnNyZXNvdXJjZXMgISBvcmc= or call our main office at 800-426-6806.

Originally from Atlanta, Wes completed his graduate training and initial work as a speech-language pathologist in Austin, Texas before moving to Portland in 2018. He has worked in private practice, home health, skilled nursing, telehealth, and the outpatient clinic setting, and has spent the past 5 years at Providence St. Vincent Outpatient Rehab. Wes has supported the Parkinson's population with communication and swallowing for over 7 years and is a licensed SPEAK OUT! Therapy provider (a program developed by the Parkinson Voice Project). He provides individual therapy to people with Parkinson's and also runs a weekly virtual communication group for those who have graduated from therapy. Outside of work, Wes enjoys running and biking around Portland, camping with his wife and two dogs, and snowboarding on Mt. Hood.

Brent is an occupational therapist who received his doctorate from Pacific University in Hillsboro, Oregon. His path to becoming an occupational therapist began while working in activities in a memory care center for six years, where he learned about the therapeutic benefits of engaging in meaningful everyday activities, or occupations. His areas of interest include dementia care, stroke rehabilitation, and concussion treatment. Outside of work, Brent enjoys movies at Portland’s classic Hollywood Theater and is an avid reader.

Also check out other Health & Wellness events in Beaverton, Workshops in Beaverton, Trips & Adventurous Activities in Beaverton.