Nearly 1700 South Australians living with Parkinson’s have had greater access to free specialised healthcare thanks to a State Government funding commitment to employ specialist nurses.
In 2022, the State Government committed $2.5m in funding to The Hospital Research Foundation Group to employ a team of five Parkinson’s Nurse Specialists in a bid to address a critical gap in care for people living with Parkinson’s and other neurological conditions.
Since January 2023, 1697 people from across South Australia have benefitted from one-on-one consultations with the Parkinson’s nursing team, including 538 people living in regional parts of the state.
Parkinson’s is a neurodegenerative condition with complex motor and non-motor symptoms including rigidity, tremor, pain, gastrointestinal issues, depression and memory, thinking and sleep problems.
The nurses are based at The Hospital Research Foundation Group – Parkinson’s office at Unley with the flexibility to travel to metropolitan and regional areas to suit their clients’ needs.
The team meets with a client either at their home, aged care facility, in hospital or at The Hospital Research Foundation Group – Parkinson’s office at Unley, where they conduct a holistic assessment to identify areas of concern and develop a care plan.
Their support includes education about Parkinson’s, what treatments are available, managing symptoms, health and wellbeing counselling, family and carer support, and more.
This has helped boost quality of life for people living with Parkinson’s through specialised advice and hospital avoidance, and helped close the gap for clients based regionally.
The commitment has also helped with:
- Developing a self-reporting tool that clients can use to communicate changes or concerns with their Parkinson’s Nurse Specialist
- Running a pilot support group program for clients in residential aged care facilities
- Manning the Parkinson’s support line to assist with community concerns
- Offering consultations and seminars in regional areas including Kangaroo Island, Mount Gambier, Port Lincoln, the Riverland, Yorke Peninsula and the State’s Far North.
