Quality of Life is an informative and compassionate program focused on empowering individuals and families to make thoughtful, informed decisions throughout the progression of Parkinson’s disease and other neurodegenerative conditions. This event brings together medical, rehabilitative, and hospice professionals to address both proactive care planning and day-to-day quality of life.

Valley Hospice
Jonna Bell, MSN, MBA, APN, AGNP-C
Maribeth Kearney, MPA, BSN, RN, CHPN
Susan Geier, MPA

The End of Life; Life-limiting diagnoses, advance healthcare directives, POLST, wills, end-of-life choices, palliative care, MAID, and hospice services.

AIM Neuro Rehab – Westwood, NJ
Jennifer Murphy, MS, OTR/L, CNS – LSVT BIG, Vestibular Rehab, Concussion Management
Rachel Baumstein, PT, DPT, NCS – Neurologic Clinical Specialist
Kelliat Forzani, MS, CCC-SLP – Speech-Language Pathologist specializing in neurological impairments

Multidisciplinary Neurorehabilitation Treatments in Parkinson’s and Other Neurodegenerative Disorders; Evidence-based approaches to neurorehabilitation focusing on mobility, communication, and quality of life.

Join Christina Markar Khawam, DC, Chiropractor to explore the role of spinal health in promoting mobility, vitality, and overall well-being as we age. Learn how an integrative approach can prevent or reduce back pain, improve posture, and support healthy aging.

Join A Pathway to Hope at the Ridgewood Y for a tail-wagging session of Doggy Yoga! Flow, stretch, and unwind alongside fun, friendly, fluffy pups in this one-of-a-kind experience you won’t want to miss. PLUS, adoptable cats and dogs will be on site, ready to find their forever homes!

Your $40 registration donation will support both nonprofits—so you can feel good while you feel the zen.

Presented in partnership with Hackensack Meridian Health – Neuroscience Institute, Paramus, NJ
Sponsored by Medtronic

This program explores Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) as an advanced treatment option for Parkinson’s disease, helping individuals and care partners understand when DBS may be appropriate, how it works, which symptoms it can address, and what outcomes to expect. Experts from Hackensack Meridian Health will also share insights on medication management, pain management strategies, and the role of nutrition and microbiome health in supporting overall Parkinson’s care.

• Dr. Hooman Azmi – Movement Disorder Neurologist & Neurosurgeon
• Dr. Elana Clar – Neurologist, Movement Disorders Specialist: When DBS is appropriate, symptoms it treats, how it works, & expected outcomes
• Dr. Osama Abu-Hadid – Movement Disorder Specialist: Medication management (motor & non-motor symptoms)
• Dr. Jacob Hascalovici, MD, PhD – Pain Management Specialist: Pain management strategies
• Susan Kraus, RD – Registered Dietitian: Microbiome health and nutrition for Parkinson’s

Healthy Kids Day is the YMCA’s national initiative and largest single-day event dedicated to youth development and the health and well-being of kids and families. For over 30 years, the Ridgewood Y has hosted this fun, free, community-wide celebration to kick off the warmer months—encouraging kids to stay active, engaged, and healthy both physically and mentally throughout the summer and beyond! Join us for a kid-friendly festival with:

• face painting
• games and physical activities
• story time with the Ridgewood Library
• touch-a-truck with Ridgewood Police + Fire
• Camp Bernie critter meet ‘n’ greet
• seed planting
• sensory tables
• crafts
• Youth programming, summer camp + swim lesson information

Attendance is free; signing up is recommended.

This practical, patient-focused session brings together medical expertise and mobility solutions to support safety, independence, and daily function for people living with Parkinson’s disease. The program is designed to help individuals and care partners better understand medication management while exploring tools that can make movement easier and more confident.

• SUPERNUS: ONAPGO Medication Insights and Management Strategies
  Tentative Presenters: Dr. Fiona Gupta, Dr. Hadid, Dr. Akbar
• Durable Medical Equipment for Parkinson’s: Demonstration of the U-Step walker and overview of mobility equipment designed to improve safety and independence
  Rob Carpenito, President–Broadway Medical Supply in Westwood, NJ
• Kizik Hands-Free Shoes
  Montana Evans, store manager at the Kizik Store, The Mall at Short Hills, community engagement expert, and mobility solutions

Create a colorful painting just in time for spring! In this guided class, participants will paint a spring image on canvas! Students will learn about color mixing, composition, and brushwork. No experience needed—our expert instructor will guide you step by step. All students will leave with a finished painting that makes a wonderful handmade gift for Mother’s Day or any special mother figure in your life. Ages 7+ (grown ups welcome too)!

Improve Your Posture, Improve Your Quality of Life!

In this 4-week workshop, you’ll learn eight yoga postures to help reverse a hunched upper back (hyperkyphosis), which is linked to impaired mobility, increased fall risk, breathing issues, heart and lung disease, and even depression and anxiety. The good news: with the right approach, posture can improve—and so can your overall wellbeing.

Taught by Gernot Huber, a full-time yoga and movement teacher since 2009, the workshop blends modern movement science with traditional yogic wisdom for an integrated, accessible, and enjoyable practice. Gernot has taught worldwide and holds degrees from Stanford (B.A. in Literature) and Cornell (M.S. in Evolutionary Biology). With clarity, compassion, and humor, he makes yoga rewarding for students of all levels and ages.

Menopause is a natural life stage that every woman will experience. Join Dr. David Garfinkel, MD, Obstetrics and Gynecology, to explore what’s happening in the body, symptoms you may experience, treatments like hormone replacement therapy that can help, and how you can make informed choices for your body and health.