RuralFit pilot program takes on silent killer, Parkinson's disease

The Walhallow Aboriginal Corporation has about 5000 people on the books in Tamworth and Quirindi. Just one has a Parkinson's disease diagnosis.

Walhallow practice manager Sarah Hitchcock said they hope a new program will help track down some of the undiagnosed cases.

"They're thinking that it's really underdiagnosed in the Indigenous community," she said.

"That's what this pilot program is predominantly about.

"There are very few Indigenous people diagnosed with Parkinson's disease."

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RuralFit movement disorder nurse, Jo Lavelle, is part of a new pilot program designed to make that problem a thing of the past.

The Coledale Community Centre played host to the first of a number of awareness-raising events on Tuesday, with a bingo and barbeque event.

Tamworth Family Support community development worker, Rebecca Butler, said the event was about "planting a seed" in the community to let them know there is assistance available, and educating them about what Parkinson's looks like.

Miss Hitchcock said the disease manifests in a very different way early in the process, with "very generic" symptoms that can appear gastro-intestinal.

It's very rare to have the classic tremor onset at a younger age.

But if people know the signs of the ailment, they can do a lot to manage the symptoms.

"If you get an early diagnoses there's lot of interventions that they can put into place before it gets to that severe state," she said.

"Once you develop the tremors, that's well and truly into Parkinson's disease itself."

Ms Lavelle said the program would run until June 2023.

She will work across the New England and North West region, and will be aided by an Aboriginal Health Worker, who will help her do outreach into the Indigenous community.

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