News

New training to help patients with Parkinson’s disease

Aug 15, 2019

Staff at Tamara Private Hospital are now better prepared to treat patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD) after recently completing training in the “PD Warrior” program.

The upskilling will allow staff to deliver the program, which aims to help slow symptoms down so patients can live, move and feel better. 

Tamara Private Hospital CEO Darren Ninness said: “It will enhance the ability to treat existing patients with Parkinson’s disease, while opening up the opportunity to increase allied health services offered at the hospital for patients across the New England North West region of New South Wales.” 

An allied health team from the hospital was lucky enough to receive funding through the Ramsay Health Care National Scholarship Program to complete the training course in Tamworth, rather than travelling to Sydney. 

Ramsay Australia offers scholarships for employees to support study in areas where additional qualifications are considered an important workforce requirement. 

Ten staff were involved in the training, including occupational therapists, physiotherapists, allied health assistants and an exercise physiologist. 

The course included 15 hours of online training and video modules to learn the core exercises and understand the research, followed by a one-day practical training session with an instructor at the hospital’s rehabilitation gym.

Volunteer patients and their carers were invited to attend for half a day, to allow staff to practise their assessment skills, coaching methods and delivery of the group program.  

Parkinson’s disease is the second most common neurological disease in the country and affects 100,000 people Australia-wide. 

Tamworth has an active Parkinson’s disease support group but there are limited specific treatment options to complement the medication therapy; it is hoped this program will help to fill the gap.