A very popular monthly meeting format is the replacement of the program portion of the meeting with "Breakout Groups."  The attendees are divided into patients and care givers and they "breakout" into two separate areas where they can meet with their peers and frankly discuss Parkinson's related topics, both humorous and serious.

For the care giver, these breakout sessions present an ideal opportunity to discuss common day to day care giver experiences, (what worked and what did not, have others had similar experiences and how did they respond, etc.) They get instant responses, diverse opinions and cutting edge advice drawn from the corporate knowledge and practical experieces of thei r fellow care givers. These discussions are particularly valuable because they take place in an atmosphere of good friends sharing a common life experience and they constitute a major portion of the support group's foundation.