Palliative care for people living with Parkinson's disease
Palliative Care as a Parkinson's Disease Standard of Care
Bringing palliative care into Parkinson's care for Veterans and others with PD to help manage symptoms, plan future care, and support caregivers.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | VA Eastern Colorado Health Care System NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Aurora, UNITED STATES) |
| Project ID | NIH-11219731 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you take part, palliative care clinicians will work alongside your Parkinson's care team in outpatient VA clinics to address pain, depression, and other distressing symptoms while also helping with advance care planning and caregiver needs. The project uses the VA's Parkinson's hub-and-spoke network (PADRECCs and Consortium Centers) to expand outpatient palliative services across participating sites. Participants and their care partners will be followed over time to track changes in symptom burden, quality of life, and caregiver distress. The work aims to make palliative care a routine part of PD care within the VA system.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People living with Parkinson's disease who receive care at participating VA medical centers, especially Veterans with nonmotor symptoms or unmet caregiver support needs, are the ideal candidates.
Not a fit: People who do not receive care at participating VA sites or who have very mild, well-controlled Parkinson's symptoms may not see direct benefit from this program.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: This could lead to better symptom relief, clearer advance care plans, and stronger support for caregivers of people with Parkinson's disease.
How similar studies have performed: Outpatient palliative care has improved outcomes in other serious illnesses and early work in Parkinson's suggests promise, but broad implementation in PD is still relatively new.
Where this research is happening
Aurora, UNITED STATES
- VA Eastern Colorado Health Care System — Aurora, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Levy, Cari Renee — VA Eastern Colorado Health Care System
- Study coordinator: Levy, Cari Renee
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.