Extra support for people with Parkinson’s disease

SA Health Minister, Jack Snelling, said a re-elected Labor government would continue funding for the important Parkinson’s disease nurse position in Adelaide's southern suburbs and also expand it to other areas across the state.

“We will go from having one Parkinson’s nurse in the southern suburbs to four Parkinson’s nurses across the state,” Mr Snelling said.

“We know how important it is that South Australians with Parkinson’s disease receive the support they need to lead fulfilling lives.

“It’s an important service in the southern suburbs and one that the rest of metropolitan Adelaide and country South Australia could benefit from greatly.

The state government would commit to expanding this service to the rest of metropolitan Adelaide, with an outreach service in to the country.

“That way, South Australians with Parkinson’s disease and their families will receive care from highly trained nurses, no matter where they live, with the certainty that this service will continue under a Labor government,” Mr Snelling said.

Country patients often had to travel considerable distances throughout South Australia for management of conditions such as Parkinson’s disease, he said.

The state government has tried to treat people closer to where they live by upgrading or re-building country hospitals, and building new chemo units across the state for people with cancer.

The service will now be available in the central and northern local health networks and there will also be an outreach service into country regions.

It will be provided by expert nurses specialising in Parkinson’s disease, providing valuable assistance to people newly diagnosed with Parkinson’s, helping them to understand the disease and providing support as they come to terms with the diagnosis.

The service will also provide:

• ongoing education and support for people with Parkinson’s and their families;
• a nursing assessment that will form the basis for ongoing care;
• support for people with Parkinson’s to navigate their way through the health system; and
• recommend referrals to other health professionals as required such as speech therapists and physiotherapists.

The Parkinson’s nurses will be able to visit hospitals, residential care facilities and at home.

The nurses will also liaise with general practitioners as necessary. They will run nurse led clinics, will work as part of multidisciplinary teams and provide education to other health professions.

It is estimated one in every 250 people have Parkinson’s disease with that number increasing to one in every 100 people over the age of 60 years.