PATIENTS with Parkinson's disease in North East Lincolnshire are to receive new specialist services.
NHS North East Lincolnshire Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) is working with a range of organisations, patients and carers to improve local Parkinson's disease services.
The programme called Living With Parkinson's Education Programme, aims to help patients and their family, carers or employer understand and manage symptoms related to Parkinson's disease.
One patient that attended was Peter Mawer, a Housing Support Worker for L&H Homes in Grimsby.
After his wife recognised some of his symptoms he was encouraged to see his GP who promptly referred him to Grimsby's hospital, where he received a diagnosis by Dr Lazarus, a Consultant Neurologist.
Peter was informed about the Living With Parkinson's Programme by Tracey Osborne, Parkinson's Disease nurse specialist.
He attended the event with his wife and also his boss, who was keen to understand more about the condition.
Peter said: "The service I have received is excellent. It was a relief to be diagnosed and knowing the range of support available for me prevented it from being a traumatic experience."
"My boss has been a pillar of support and he was keen to understand my condition and what he could do to support me."
Brian Noble, Peter's supervisor, said: "At L&H Homes we believe that people are one of our greatest assets.
"After Peter was diagnosed with Parkinson's last year we looked carefully at the readjustments that we would have to make to help him to continue working.
"We introduced some simple solutions like flexible working hours, clustering appointments with customers, carrying a mobile phone at all times and regular monitoring and meetings with a line manager to make sure that Peter can continue to perform his role as a housing support worker efficiently.
"I attended Parkinson's Awareness Training to find out more about the condition and its effects and we're sharing that knowledge with other staff who work with him."
The programme is a free six week course of an hour and a half sessions. Each week the programme is delivered by a range of qualified professionals such as nurse specialists, therapists, and Parkinson's UK information support workers.
Dr Lazarus said: "The service has indeed come a long way from inception and now provides very up to date comprehensive, diagnostic, therapeutic and rehabilitative services for patients."
"The service goes way beyond just making a diagnosis and offering treatment but offers services which try to help patients to not only deal with the disease but live with it as comfortably as possible."
For more information on these new services please contact Tracey Osborne, Parkinson's specialist nurse on 01472 302592
Follow us on Facebook and Twitter