All About Parkinson's NZ

All About Parkinson's NZ Sharing info that's interesting and/or useful for people with Parkinson's Disease and their supporters, with a focus on Aotearoa.

If you see something you think the page has missed, please send a message. :)

30/07/2026

A documentary about Parkinson's disease and its losing battle to st...

30/07/2026

Our Health & Wellbeing Team is heading to Ashburton on 13 Aug!

Need advice, want to chat about your exercise plan, or just looking for a bit of support? We’d love to see you.

📅 Get in touch to book a time with the team

30/07/2026

Worth a listen.👂

29/07/2026
Worth sharing again.
29/07/2026

Worth sharing again.

Kia ora,

Train Five, Keep Five.

Every year, New Zealand trains up to five neurologists and only funds public hospital positions for around three. That means we lose highly trained specialists when our health system needs them most.

If you or someone you care for has Parkinson’s you already know what this shortage looks like.

The Neurological Alliance of New Zealand is calling on political parties to commit to Train 5, Keep 5:

✔ Fund two additional public neurology positions every year.
✔ Develop a long-term neurological workforce plan.

For more information and to support the Train 5 Keep 5 campaign head to:

https://www.parkinsons.org.nz/news/train-five-keep-five-campaign

24/07/2026

The first time Laura Crawford saw a sloth in person, she felt a kinship. The information placard at the sloth sanctuary, where she and her husband were visiting, described sloths as “bradypods,” which means “slow, tardy, or delayed limbs.” “I felt such empathy,” she said, “that I got goosebumps. I thought, ‘That’s exactly how I feel!’” Laura, who had been diagnosed with early onset Parkinson’s disease three years earlier, recognized herself in its sluggish movement.

Her unexpected sense of familiarity with the sloth sparked a revelation: what if sloths could help her explain how it feels to live with Parkinson’s? This is how the Symptomary—a collection of personified symptoms with playful googly eyes—was born.

Today, Laura makes challenging symptoms easier to talk about by turning them into cheeky handmade characters. (Everyone's favorite is Constipoopie, which she uses to talk about constipation.) “We have a tidal wave of Parkinson’s patients coming,” Laura said, referring to the growing epidemic of PD. “And, if you haven’t noticed, there’s not enough doctors.” If patients feel uncomfortable talking about their symptoms, or don’t recognize them, it may take years for them to get a proper diagnosis. Laura wants to make sure people are ready. https://loom.ly/Qes9dCo

24/07/2026

Discover the powerful connection between nutrition and brain health...

A retired USA doctor with Parkinson's is pushing for patients to be able to manage their own regular medications while i...
24/07/2026

A retired USA doctor with Parkinson's is pushing for patients to be able to manage their own regular medications while in hospital, because the timing often doesn't align with medication rounds.

Retired Virginia Beach physician Howard Weinberg, who lives with Parkinson’s disease, must take his medication every six hours within 15 minutes of his scheduled time to prevent serious mobility complications and falls.

National data shows that one in six hospitalized Parkinson’s patients suffer avoidable complications because standard hospital rounds often fail to align with strict, individual dosing schedules.

As an ambassador for the Parkinson’s Foundation, Weinberg is advocating for clearer hospital protocols and self-administration partnerships to ensure patients receive their medications on time.

Read more here: https://tinyurl.com/43yf72ab



Address

Hamilton

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when All About Parkinson's NZ posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Shortcuts

Share