In the United States, it has been estimated that more than 1 million people have Parkinson’s Disease (PD). In Colorado the estimate is 15,000 and in Larimer County there are at least 900 living with this chronic disease.

The Parkinson’s Support Group in Larimer County (PSGLC) has more than 100 members including PD patients, their caregivers, family and friends, health professionals and other interested parties.

Normally, the Larimer County Parkinson’s Support meeting is held the first Wednesday of each month at:

Map

Fort Collins Senior Center
1200 Raintree Drive
10:30 – 12:30

Visitors and newcomers are always welcome. There is no admission charge. And for now, we are streaming the presentation portion of these monthly meetings on Zoom – details are in our newsletter.

If you would like to be added to our email list in order to receive PSGLC communications and online meeting invitations, please submit your information on this page.

Upcoming support meetings:

(Click each date to see the details)

Events in August–October 2026

August Support Meeting: Driving with Parkinson's
August Support Meeting: Driving with Parkinson's
Prairie Sage Rooms 2&3

Driving with Parkinson’s: Staying Safe, Staying Independent

Join Lisa Pirraglia, OTR/L, an outpatient neurological occupational therapist at the Medical Center of the Rockies, for a supportive conversation about driving and Parkinson’s. Learn how symptoms may affect driving, when it may be helpful to seek a driving evaluation, and what happens during an in-clinic assessment. The session will also provide practical tips and local resources to help individuals and caregivers plan ahead and stay safely connected to their community.

About Lisa Pirraglia, MOT, OTR/L PWR

Lisa Pirraglia, OTR/L, is an outpatient neurological occupational therapist at the Medical Center of the Rockies with over 17 years of experience in neurological rehabilitation across outpatient, inpatient, and home health settings. She earned her Master of Science in Occupational Therapy from Rockhurst University and has dedicated her career to helping individuals with neurological conditions live as independently and meaningfully as possible.

Lisa has advanced training in treating progressive neurological conditions, including Parkinson’s disease, and is a PWR! Moves® Certified therapist, focusing on improving movement, function, and participation in daily life. Her clinical expertise also includes cognitive, visual, and vestibular rehabilitation for individuals recovering from concussion, stroke, and other neurological conditions.

In addition, Lisa provides driving-related services, including in-clinic driving assessments to evaluate safety, cognition, vision, and motor skills, and to guide individuals and families in making informed decisions about driving and community mobility.

Outside of work, Lisa enjoys spending time with her husband and children and staying active in Colorado through hiking, paddle boarding, snowboarding, and traveling.
September Support Meeting: There's No Place Like Home: Planning to Age Safely at Home
September Support Meeting: There's No Place Like Home: Planning to Age Safely at Home
Prairie Sage Rooms 2&3

There's No Place Like Home: Planning to Age Safely at Home

Nearly 90% of seniors say they want to stay in their own homes as they age — but most families haven't planned for what that takes. In this discussion-based session, Kristin Dahlquist covers the essentials every family should know: the difference between home care and home health care and how to choose the right provider, the everyday realities of "Sandwich Generation" caregivers balancing aging parents and their own families, and how to start "the conversation" with a loved one before a crisis forces it. You'll leave knowing the five most common home safety pitfalls, the remodeling and technology solutions that keep seniors independent, and where to find resources for the caregiving journey.

About Kristin Dahlquist

Kristin Dahlquist is the owner of Home Instead offices in Denver and Fort Collins, where she leads teams that provide personalized home care to more than 700 seniors and their families across Colorado each month. With a Doctorate of Social Work from the University of Southern California and a Master of Public Health from The Ohio State University, Kristin combines academic expertise with hands-on leadership to advance quality, compassionate senior care.

Under her leadership, Home Instead Denver was recognized for innovation in dementia respite care through partnerships with CMS GUIDE Program and Alzheimer's grant funding. Kristin also serves on the executive committee of the Parkinson Association of the Rockies, helping to improve resources and support for families impacted by Parkinson's disease.

In 2025, Kristin was honored by the Denver Business Journal as one of its Outstanding Women in Business, reflecting her commitment to building strong teams, strengthening community partnerships, and raising the standard of care for older adults.
October Support Meeting - Direct Brain Stimulation
October Support Meeting - Direct Brain Stimulation
Prairie Sage Rooms 2&3

Brief overview of the logistics of DBS surgery from approval to the OR.

The real story of what to expect when the surgeries are happening.
- Planning for surgery
- What to expect for surgery prep for both patient and caregiver
- Importance of a health advocate during each step of the process
- Physical and emotional experience from both the patient and caregiver
- Managing expectations for the marathon not the race
  
  Device programming and med reduction
  
  Unpredictability of physical symptoms while ‘tweaking’ the programs
  
  Emotional challenges throughout the process
About Robynne Ingham

Robynne grew up in Cody, WY. She obtained her B.A. in Mass Communication and Public information from Montana State University in Bozeman, MT in 1987. While her heart is forever in Montana, after marrying and spending 10 years in Minnesota building a career with Xerox Corporation, she moved to Littleton, CO to raise her two boys and continue her professional pursuits in sales. She enjoyed positions with Johnson & Johnson and Pfizer Animal Health before having to divert her drive and determination from her occupation to an unexpected challenge in 2018 to discover the basis for her physical health issues that were becoming too prevalent to ignore.

When asked how she handles the day-to-day obstacles of Parkinson’s, Robynne would tell you that she embraces her support system of family and friends, leans into her innate positive attitude and approach to life and intentional focus on living and healing with GRACE. “Grace in healing means letting yourself move at the pace your nervous system can handle. Releasing the idea that you should be over it by now and allowing rest to be productive-stopping the fight against yourself.”

About Cheryl Ingham

Cheryl Ingham graduated from Fort Collins High School and attended the University of Arizona, graduating with a degree in Math Education with a minor in Music. She went on to get a Masters in Math Education at the U of A and a second masters in School Administration from CSU. She has taught high school math at all levels from Pre-Algebra to Calculus for 34 years. Cheryl’s 22-year-old twin girls, Libby and Sydney are also alumni of U of A. They are pursuing master’s degrees in School Psychology and GIS (Geographic Information System) respectively.

Cheryl has played soccer since she was five years old. She coached soccer for several years and is proud to have coached several players who are currently playing professionally both here and abroad. She still enjoys playing on two different women’s teams here in the northern Colorado area. When she’s not playing soccer, Cheryl can be found outside tending to her flower gardens, camping or road-tripping with her wife or porch-sitting with a good book!