Being diagnosed with Parkinson’s can be daunting, but knowing which allied health professionals and medical supports and services you need to maintain your quality of life doesn’t have to be. In addition to your friends, family and carers, we recommend getting a specialist multidisciplinary care team together as soon as possible.
Your specialist care team may include at a minimum your General Practitioner (GP), neurologist, geriatrician, and a Parkinson’s Nurse Specialist. Individualised care team specialists can dramatically increase your wellbeing and help maintain a better quality of life. Depending on what services are available to you, you could include a:
- physical therapist (PT)
- exercise physiologist (EP)
- occupational therapist (OT)
- speech pathologist
- urologist
- continence specialist
- mental health professional (e.g. psychiatrist, psychologist, wellbeing counsellor)
- nutritionist or dietician.
All people with Parkinson’s are different and may have quite variable trajectories in their symptoms’ progression. One thing you can do to help maintain your quality of life is to get early assessments and start early intervention therapies. For help with increasing costs of managing Parkinson’s you should also look at applying for an NDIS plan and ask your GP about a Chronic Disease Management Plan or Mental Health Plan to access allied health supports.
Refer to allied health therapy peak bodies to find one suitable for your situation and location, for example:
