Parkinson Disease Society - Community Support Worker for Rochdale

Date published: 22/12/2006

The Parkinson Disease Society has agreed to provide a Community Support Worker, in Rochdale who will help all people with Parkinson’s whether they are members of the Parkinson’s Disease Society or not.

We recently reported that John Kay, the President of the Rochdale Chamber of Commerce and a Director of Rochdale Online, had supported the Rochdale Branch’s campaign by writing to the officers of the Parkinson’s Disease Society. This added to a concerted campaign which included support from all over the country, and even from New Zealand, to let the Society know that Rochdale was in dire need of a Community Support Worker.

Jim Stott, the Rochdale branch Secretary, explained: "The Parkinson’s Disease Society has put proposals to the Rochdale PCT to recruit and fund a Parkinson’s Nurse.  The Parkinson’s Disease Society would initially fund this Specialist Parkinson’s Nurse on the basis that the PCT would take over the long term funding.

"This provision of the Parkinson’s Specialist Nurse will help Rochdale to provide the of kind of support services recommended in the NICE guidelines on care for people with Parkinson’s and the National Service Framework for long term (neurological) conditions.

The key worker will help all people with Parkinson’s whether they are members of the Parkinson’s Disease Society or not, offering emotional and practical support to anybody affected by Parkinson’s Disease, including their families and carers. This support can be provided through visits, or if preferred, advice may be given over the telephone.  

The Rochdale branch has campaigned hard to put a Support Worker in place and has raised £20,000 to ensure they can fund the cost of the part time support worker in the short/medium term. They are now planning other events to raise money for the Rochdale branch funds and the benefit of all people in Rochdale with Parkinson’s Disease.

The next phase of support for people with Parkinson’s is the provision of a Parkinson’s Disease Specialist Nurse for the Rochdale area.