Parkinson’s statistics hit hard
Thirty people are diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease every day – with the financial burden of the disease for 2011-12 valued at $7.6 billion. The figures, released by Parkinson’s Australia late last year, show the disease as Australia’s second most common neurological disease.
Thirty people are diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease every day – with the financial burden of the disease for 2011-12 valued at $7.6 billion.
The figures, released by Parkinson’s Australia late last year, show the disease as Australia’s second most common neurological disease.
The report allegedly delves deep and shows the impact of Parkinson’s on “individuals, families, the health care system and nation”, according to Daryl Smeaton, Parkinson’s Australia chief executive.
The findings of the report indicate the average person lives for about 12 years after being diagnosed with Parkinson’s and costs sufferers about $12,000 a year out of their own pockets.
Despite the alarming statistics, Mr Smeaton insists “simple solutions” exist to save money and improve people’s lives.
“For instance, it’s known that having a specialist Parkinson’s nurse can avoid tens of thousands of dollars’ worth of unnecessary consultations and improve people’s wellbeing,” he adds.
According to Parkinson’s Australia chief executive, Daryl Smeaton, over a lifetime, people with Parkinson’s disease experience greater disability than people with any of the conditions that are funded as ‘chronic’, including cancer, diabetes, heart disease, stroke and vascular disease.
