Parkinson’s Ireland are hosting a webinar for care partners, focusing on the range of information and supports available, kindly supported by Home Instead. This is taking place on Wednesday, August 21st at 7pm and will last approximately two hours. We will be joined by Home Instead, Occupational Therapist Claire Dolan, an ICPOP nurse specialist, Care Alliance and Citizens Advice.  We will circulate a schedule in due course. Please click here to register in advance ..read more

Parkinson’s Ireland (PI) is hiring a Parkinson’s Disease (PD) Nurse Specialist, based in Cork. This role seeks to provide social, psychological and educational support on how to manage Parkinson’s for patients, carers and their families. The job holder will work closely with the other PI Nurses and other PI team members and will have responsibility for proactively assisting with the development of the PI service. The deadline for applications is Friday, the 26th of July 2024 at 5pm. Please click here for more information and to apply ..read more

Parkinson’s Ireland (PI) is delighted to announce that we have been awarded state funding to run our Parkinson’s nurse specialist helpline service.  This follows a sustained campaign, which highlighted the need for the government to provide funding for PI’s national services. The helpline service currently has two specialist nurses and a dietitian. The nurses also run newly diagnosed programmes, outreach clinics and weekly virtual educational sessions with service users. The service empowers people with Parkinson’s to self-manage their condition and mainly deals with medication queries, w ..read more

As the warm winds of summer begin to stir, Frank Mullen, a 61-year-old project manager hailing from Donabate, is gearing up for an extraordinary adventure. To shine a light on the importance of exercise, community, and seizing the moment, Frank is embarking on a remarkable 300KM journey down the Shannon River. From June 28th, 2024, Frank will paddle his way through the heart of Ireland, covering approximately 30KM each day over 10 days, all in support of Parkinson’s Ireland. Frank’s initiative, aptly named #Paddle4Parkinsons, is not just a personal challenge; it’s aims to raise awareness and f ..read more

Advanced Nurse Practitioner at the Mater Hospital Brian Magennis outlines the top ten causes of a sudden deterioration in Parkinson’s Disease (PD) in the chart below: He explained: “Parkinson’s disease by its nature is a slowly progressive condition over time, but when it suddenly deteriorates there is always a reason or trigger. “The Top 10 causes of a sudden deterioration are outlined in the chart to help identify and treat the cause of the deterioration. Once treated and allowing time to recover, there is usually no need to increase the person’s Parkinson’s medication”. We put together fur ..read more

The Neurological Alliance of Ireland has launched a campaign calling for a dedicated Consultant Neurologist for 5 hospitals across Ireland: Bantry General Hospital, Mayo University Hospital, Midland Regional Hospice Portlaoise, Wexford General Hospital, Letterkenny University Hospital. The Neurology Model of Care recommends that all 5 of these hospitals should have a Consultant Neurologist to support local neurology services. On June 24th, the Neurological Alliance of Ireland will be joined by health professionals, patient advocates and local patient groups together with local TDs and councilo ..read more

Family Carers Ireland: State of Caring Survey Family Carers Ireland’s latest survey, the State of Caring 2024, found that three quarters of respondents reported severe or moderate loneliness and the same number also said those they care for do not receive enough support. Family Carers Ireland said that 69% of those surveyed said they found it difficult to make ends meet, while 72% have never received respite and 74% said the people they care for do not get sufficient formal support. The survey also found that 49% of carers said they have paid privately for products or services that should be p ..read more

We would like to remind our members that our Zoom Classes will take a break for the summer months at the end of June and resume in September. Mindfulness and Wellness: Dee Daly has finished her mindfulness and wellness classes for the summer and will resume in September. Sing Along with Dara: Dara will finish her classes for the summer break on Tuesday, 25th of June and resume Tuesday, the 10th of September. Nurse Clinic: Our nurse zoom clinic is currently on a break for the month of June. Weekly sessions will restart on Wednesday, the 10th of July. Chair Yoga: The final date for chair yoga wi ..read more

New research published in the scientific journal Nature Genetics describes the discovery of a gene responsible for a heritable form of Parkinson’s Disease. Three Irish scientists played leading roles in study, including Dr Kevin Kenna and Brendan Kenna based at University Medical Center Utrecht in the Netherlands and Prof Owen Ross who leads the Parkinson’s Disease laboratory at the Mayo Clinic in Jackonsville, Florida. The findings provide important new insights that will help guide future lines of Parkinson’s disease research.  Largest genetic study of familial Parkinson’s Disease The s ..read more

Ahead of next weeks elections, Inclusion Ireland have put together an easy to read guide to voting for disabled people, which you can access through the link in our bio. Click here to access the guide ..read more