Week 9 - August 11th, 2003

PD Nurses Make a Difference

Honouring the Past, Celebrating the Present, Shaping the Future:
PD Nurses Make a Difference

Peggy Gray, the first Parkinson’s Disease Nurse Coordinator in Ottawa, will retire in the year 2004 after serving 24 years with Parkinson Society Ottawa and the Parkdale Clinic.  Peggy began to work with Dr. Grimes (senior) through a grant provided by Parkinson Society Ottawa when Dr. Mendis and Dr. Hassan were still neurology residents!  Peggy Gray has been published several times, presented at international neurology nursing conferences and recently earned the Queen’s Jubilee Medal.

Peggy is currently working part time and will gradually be cutting back her hours, but still plans to continue to take phone calls until April 2004.  On retirement, Peggy intends to continue volunteering with the Society as an educator and resource person.

We would like you to join us in welcoming Keeley Haas as the next Parkinson’s Nurse Coordinator in Dr. Grimes Clinic as part of a Parkinson Society Program Grant from Parkinson Society Canada. Clinical Assistance Program Grants are awarded to an academically based neurologist at a movement disorder clinic with a specialty in Parkinson's.  These funds provide partial salary support for a designated onsite Clinical Nurse who ensures ongoing support and services to people with Parkinson's and their care partners. 

As Parkinson’s Disease Nurse Coordinators, Keeley and Peggy assist clinic patients living with the disease to improve their quality of life by identifying and linking to appropriate care services and therapies such as a:

•  Physiotherapist 

• Speech Therapist 

• Social Worker

• Occupational Therapist

• Counsellor/Psychologist

• Dietician

Parkinson’s Disease Nurses also coordinate numerous clinical trials, exploring novel treatment options for patients in the very early stages of the disease as well as for those in more advanced stages.  They also take a research management and oversight role in clinical trials and other experimental research studies designed to test new drugs, devices, and other experimental medical or nursing interventions.

The Nurse Coordinator can help you to understand your PD medications.  They can advise you and/or your caregiver how to monitor your response to medications.  They can also, as required, liaise, consult and report back to relevant health professionals on your behalf, reporting on any significant changes, which may indicate a need for medical review.

The role of the Nurse Coordinator has undoubtedly been crucial in improving quality of life for people with Parkinson's disease.