Parkinson's UK launch new service Parkinson's Connect to better support newly diagnosed people
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GRAMPIAN healthcare professionals are being urged to promote a new Parkinson's service.
Charity Parkinson's UK has launched its new Parkinson's Connect service, which aims to provide better support for those with the condition.
Parkinson's Connect is tailored to the needs of individuals living with the progressive condition, and gives them information and advice about how to manage better.
Katherine Crawford, Director of Services at Parkinson’s UK said:
“Parkinson’s is the fastest growing neurological condition in the world, but it is still often misunderstood so getting the right support can make a real difference to the start of someone’s life with Parkinson’s and their wellbeing.
"We know there is a real need amongst our community and those that support them to feel empowered and informed about living with Parkinson’s from the point of diagnosis.
“We’ve been providing this support for 50 years and Parkinson’s Connect isn’t about reinventing the wheel, it’s about making it available in one place so that it’s easy to find, and easy for healthcare teams to signpost to."
The launch of the service comes with a call for local healthcare professionals to spread the word about the new service.
In the current phase, any person newly diagnosed with the condition can access support and healthcare professionals including neurologists, Care of the Elderly consultants, Parkinson’s nurses and consultant physicians can start referring patients.
Three years in the making, the new service aims to put a wide range of resources in one, easily accessible, place.
One in 37 people alive today will be diagnosed with Parkinson’s in their lifetime and approximately 1,230 people live with it already across Grampian.
A quarter of people with Parkinson’s told Parkinson's UK that they did not receive enough information when diagnosed.
The same number said their health service did not give them information on how to access Parkinson’s UK support services, or were not sure if they had.
The charity hopes that their new service will help by: connecting people with peers who also live with Parkinson’s; giving people a person to speak to and guide them through next steps and options; providing up-to-date and reliable health information to best manage their symptoms; and helping find expert tips and guidance on everything from work and finances to relationships and family life.
There are also resources available for family, friends and carers.
Ms Crawford said: "We have been piloting the programme in six areas already across the UK and the feedback from healthcare professionals and patients alike has been overwhelmingly positive.
"Our ambition is that everyone affected by Parkinson's is connected to the right support and opportunities to live as well as possible.
"We believe partnering with healthcare professionals will support us in reaching that goal."
Parkinson's is the fastest growing neurological condition in the UK, according the Parkinson's UK.
Across Scotland, about 30 people in Scotland are told they have Parkinson's each week.
About 12,400 people in Scotland have Parkinson’s – one in every 375 adults.
Anyone can get Parkinson’s, young or old, and the condition occurs when the brain cells which make dopamine start to die.
There are over 40 symptoms, from tremor and pain to anxiety.
Some of these are treatable, but the drugs can have serious side effects.
