Parkinson’s Awareness Week

30 October 2019

Parkinson’s New Zealand is raising funds for the 10,000 New Zealanders who are diagnosed with Parkinson’s. That’s 1 in every 500 Kiwis.

Parkinson’s New Zealand is encouraging people to give to families living with Parkinson’s this Awareness Week, 1-7 November.

“Parkinson’s is the second most common neurological condition in New Zealand. 1 in every 500 New Zealanders have Parkinson’s. That’s 10,000 Kiwis who need ongoing care. We need to increase awareness and raise funds so families can receive the support and information they need to live with this progressive condition,” says Director of Clinical Services, Tammy Ramsey-Evans.

Street Appeal volunteers will be collecting around the country during Awareness Week to raise vital funds to provide support, education and information for people living with Parkinsonism conditions, as well as their families and carers.

“We want to make sure all people living with Parkinson’s have access to specific care and support wherever they live in New Zealand. Funds raised by people in our communities this Awareness Week will help towards people having the care they need.”

People can also make a donation on the Parkinson’s New Zealand website www.parkinsons.org.nz.

As well as Street Appeals throughout New Zealand some regions are holding Parkinson’s Awareness Week events such as in:

• Auckland: Living Positively with Parkinson’s event, 3rd November, with Mike Lloyd as guest speaker – a blind runner from the North Shore who has Parkinson’s and who has completed his 10th consecutive New York Marathon

• Taranaki: Bingo night, Nov 6th 2019

• Whanganui: Market stall; River Traders Market November 3rd, for delicious baking and produce

To find out more about Parkinson’s visit the Parkinson’s New Zealand website www.parkinsons.org.nz or phone 0800 473 4636.

About Parkinson’s

• 1 in every 500 New Zealanders has Parkinson’s – over 10,000 people

• Parkinson’s is a progressive neurological condition that occurs when insufficient quantities of the chemical dopamine are produced by the brain

• A large number of people with Parkinson’s are aged over 65, however the average age of diagnosis is 59, and many New Zealanders are diagnosed with early-onset Parkinson’s in their thirties and forties

• The main motor symptoms of Parkinson’s are:

o Tremor (shaking)

o Stiffness and rigidity

o Slowness of movement (bradykinesia)

Other symptoms can include changes in mood and anxiety, poor balance and altered speech.

About Parkinson’s New Zealand

• Parkinson’s New Zealand is a national charity that provides services for people with Parkinson’s throughout the country.

• Parkinson’s New Zealand Community Educators offer support, education and information to people living with Parkinsonism conditions, their families, carers and health professionals.

• Voluntary Parkinson’s Action Groups engage with local communities through events and community outreach supported by a national office in Wellington.

• Parkinson’s New Zealand is registered with the Charities Commission and reliant on funding from grants, bequests and donations

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