Are Parkinson’s NSW and Parkinson’s Australia related?

There is often confusion between Parkinson’s NSW and Parkinson’s Australia. However, the two organisations are completely separate and unrelated, with very different roles.

Parkinson’s Australia is an advocacy body, reaching out to the Australian Government about issues of national significance. It is not focused on delivering services which meet the day-to-day needs of the Parkinson’s community.

No state-based Parkinson’s organisations are affiliated with Parkinson’s Australia. Parkinson’s NSW and all of the other state organisations have signed a Memorandum of Understanding for closer collaboration.

This has resulted in the formation of the National Parkinson’s Alliance.

It is a new national collaboration of key stakeholders and leaders in the Parkinson’s community of Australia who have come together to shape policies, strategies, and initiatives to enhance the lives of people living with Parkinson’s across the country.

The Alliance is leveraging national collaboration and leadership to work across  regions and populations to shape policies, strategies, and initiatives to enhance the lives of individuals affected by Parkinson’s.

Parkinson’s NSW concentrates on service delivery to meet the needs of its home state’s Parkinson’s community, and advocacy to both the Australian and NSW Governments. It has a 45-year history of service delivery to the community.

Parkinson’s NSW services meeting the needs of people living with Parkinson’s, care partners and families include:

• A 1800 InfoLine advice and information service staffed by Registered Nurses, a pharmacist and a social worker.
• Comprehensive Parkinson’s information kits available through the InfoLine.
• Community-based Parkinson’s Specialist Nurses in regional and rural areas. These roles are co-funded by Parkinson’s NSW and NSW Health.
• Two specialist counsellors
• A network of 76 Parkinson’s Support Groups across the state
• Focused education for people living with Parkinson’s, care partners, and health and aged care professionals – delivered both online and face-to-face.
• An information-rich web site, digital and print publications, and social media channels.
• NDIS Advocacy for people living with Parkinson’s under the age of 65.
• Fundraising to underwrite the cost of delivering these services – because Parkinson’s NSW receives less than 3 percent of its operating costs from Government sources.