• Improve your symptoms and enhance your quality of life.
• Maintain an optimal level of physical functioning, at home and in the community.
• Improve your ability to participate in everyday activities such as walking, standing up, doing the shopping and driving.
• Improve your emotional wellbeing and promote your independence.
• Feel empowered to take control and self-manage your condition and reduce your need to visit hospital and other medical services.
  
   

The program has been specially designed for people with Parkinson’s disease or Parkinsonian symptoms who are motivated to take control of their health.

You may be eligible to participate if:

• you are in the early-to-moderate stages of Parkinson’s disease
• you have Parkinsonian symptoms for a reason other than Parkinson’s disease (e.g. permanent medication side effects or another neurological disorder)
• you have been assessed by your medical team and they think you may benefit from the program

The Parkinson’s Program is an evidence-drive, exercise based, multi-therapy program that gives you access to physiotherapy, speech therapy, exercise physiology and occupational therapy. There are two versions of the Parkinson’s Program, designed to suit different patient types. Both programs have been designed to meet you physical, emotional, and practical supportive needs.

4-week Parkinson’s Program

An intensive, multi-therapy and education program run on 4 days of the week over 4 weeks.

During the program, you will have access to a physiotherapist/exercise physiologist, speech pathologist and an occupational therapist.

Each day, you will undertake:

• one 60-minute, individually tailored physiotherapy or occupational therapy treatment session.
• one 60-minute speech therapy sessions, aimed at improving and maintaining speech volume and clarity.

Once a week, you will participate in a 60-minute small group therapy session which will address your nutritional, emotional and practical supportive needs.

You may also receive home practice activities to complete throughout the program.

10-Week Parkinson’s Program

An exercise-based and education program held one day a week for 10 weeks.

At the start of this program, you will undergo a thorough assessment by a physiotherapist, occupational therapist and speech pathologist. This specially-skilled group of health professionals will teach you the fundamentals of exercise to support you to self-manage your condition.

From the third week of the program, you will participate in weekly group exercise and small group therapy sessions designed to meet your physical and emotional supportive needs.

Throughout the program, you may receive home practice activities to complete in between your weekly sessions.

Where appropriate, additional support and care may be incorporated into your program.

Group programs may not be suitable for all people. If this is the case, you may be eligible to participate in an individual multidisciplinary program, designed to suit your specific needs. Your treatment team or a Rehabilitation Physician will discuss if an individual program is best for you.

The Parkinson’s Disease Program is classified as a Day Rehabilitation Program. Your private health insurer may have an arrangement with Ramsay Health Care to fund this program. If this is the case, there will be no additional out-of-pocket cost to you.

If this is not the case, you will be given the option to self-fund the program.

To get started, please complete our expression of interest form and your program coordinator will be in touch with our program schedule and discuss your suitability. Click here to register your interest.

You will require a referral from your doctor, this could be a GP, gerontologist, neurologist or other medical specialist. 

Before you are enrolled in the program, you will be assessed by a multidisciplinary team of medical and allied health specialists to ensure the program is suitable for you. 

Read more about the Ramsay Health Parkinson’s Program in our program flyer here.