Parkinson’s NZ receives $30,000 grant to support Manawatū-Whanganui services

Parkinsons NZ has received a grant of $30,000 from New Zealand Community Trust (NZCT).

Parkinson’s NZ was one of 18 groups in the Manawatū-Whanganui region to receive a grant from New Zealand Community Trust.

The group received a grant of $30,000 in total, with $10,239 allocated towards service delivery in the region.

Parkinson’s NZ senior grant manager Lisa Hawes said the grant will contribute to the ongoing costs for delivering their Parkinson’s educator service free to clients.

“This is our primary means of supporting people with Parkinson’s in their homes and local communities. We receive no central government funding to deliver our services and rely completely on donations, fundraising and grant making.”

Parkinson’s is a progressive neurological condition for which there is no cure. It is estimated 12,000 New Zealanders currently live with a Parkinson’s diagnosis with that number expected to rise significantly in the coming years.

Well known symptoms of Parkinson’s are tremor, stiffness, and slowness of movement. Other symptoms include pain, problems with sleep, depression, anxiety or apathy, she said.

“Not everyone will experience the same symptoms, and the condition affects everyone differently.”

While there is no cure for Parkinson’s, it can be treated and managed and Hawes said this is where they make a big difference to people’s lives.

“With no two people experiencing Parkinson’s in the same way, each person with a Parkinson’s diagnosis needs individualised support and advice to best manage their condition and more fully participate in their community.”

She said Parkinson’s New Zealand plays a crucial role in this by ensuring that people with Parkinson’s are as healthy as they can be and that they, their whānau, and care partners are supported to make positive informed choices about their healthcare.

“A key outcome we expect to achieve is to see people with Parkinson’s better able to manage their condition. Our last client survey from October demonstrated we are achieving this outcome with 90% of respondents stating that they were better able to manage their condition because of their interactions with their Parkinson’s educator.”