Connections | Issue 1 2018
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SUPPORT GROUPS<br />
The latest from our Support Groups<br />
BUNDABERG<br />
The Bundaberg Support Group<br />
has started off with a busy year.<br />
Our first guest speaker for the<br />
month was Jodie from Comlink.<br />
She explained all their services and<br />
the events they run every day of the<br />
week. You can join Comlink and<br />
participate in any of these events<br />
for a small fee..It is amazing what<br />
services they provide. We had six<br />
new members come along that<br />
morning which was great .Our<br />
next guest speaker was from Your<br />
Aged and disability advocates.<br />
ADAAUSTRALIA. We now have<br />
a Wide Bay Advocate stationed in<br />
Bundaberg for the first time. They<br />
can work with family members,<br />
carers and friends to raise and<br />
address any concerns you have.<br />
Our next guest on Monday is<br />
the speech therapist from Blue<br />
Care who is hopefully coming to<br />
talk to us about starting up The<br />
Parkinson’s Disease Education<br />
Courses again. We lost them last<br />
year because of staff changes and<br />
have been pushing for them ever<br />
since.<br />
Now on the social side. We had<br />
our first lunch outing after our<br />
second meeting and 20 of us went<br />
along for a delightful lunch and<br />
a chin wag. We have lunch out<br />
together every second meeting and<br />
our second one is this Monday. It<br />
is a great way to get to know each<br />
other a little better. We also had a<br />
delightful visit from Judy Learmonth<br />
who is a coordinator from Elanora<br />
group. Such a pleasure to meet.<br />
We all would like to Congratulate<br />
Sydney and Val Liddle on 60 years<br />
of marriage. What a wonderful<br />
achievement.<br />
HELENSVALE<br />
32 participants attended the<br />
meeting in March which featured<br />
Sarsha from Blue Care who gave a<br />
great presentation on their services.<br />
One of our members Barry<br />
Coombes is making devices to<br />
make things easier for PD patients.<br />
CALOUNDRA<br />
We have initiated a new section<br />
in our programme. Playing with<br />
games that will keep the grey<br />
matter firing. Jigsaws, dominoes,<br />
pick up sticks, play dough, etc as<br />
members come in, they have the<br />
opportunity to choose and play.<br />
Very like the way they play with their<br />
grandchildren.<br />
YOUNG AT PARK<br />
The Wednesday lunch group meets<br />
at various clubs at 12pm and<br />
the activity, as trialed at the 2017<br />
October meeting is table games,<br />
dice, UNO etc. November’s special<br />
guest was Erica Rose Jeffrey<br />
from Dance for Parkinsons, Erica<br />
talked about dancing and led us<br />
in a group dance activity to Green<br />
Onions. The December meeting<br />
was our Christmas gathering held<br />
at the Kedron Wavell RSL Club was<br />
a fun and happy time for all, we<br />
played the present game and that<br />
was hilarious. In mid December<br />
a group from Young at Park,<br />
The Conservatoriums’ ConQuest<br />
Singers and their friends formed<br />
“The Jewels” and entertained<br />
the residents at John Wesley<br />
Gardens, Geebung and Marycrest,<br />
Kangaroo Point with Christmas<br />
Songs and Popular tunes. It was<br />
a joyful experience. The year was<br />
a good one for engaging guest<br />
speakers with informative talks, we<br />
had: Santo Russo, Psychologist;<br />
Allison Fenton, Physiotherapist;<br />
Aaron D’Souza, Pharmacist; QUT<br />
PHD Students - Jing, Nadeesha<br />
and Vida; Erica Rose Jeffrey,<br />
Director of Dance For Parkinson’s.<br />
ROCKHAMPTON<br />
Well what a year 2017 was. We have<br />
advertised our branch meetings<br />
during 2017 and new members are<br />
coming.<br />
Our break up was in November<br />
at Sizzlers with most members<br />
attending. That gathering saw the<br />
completion of 7 years’ service for<br />
our revamped committee. Plans are<br />
underway for our <strong>2018</strong> meetings<br />
which are held on the first Tuesday of<br />
the month and are held in the School<br />
of Arts in Rockhampton.<br />
Jacquie Mackay, the ABC Capricornia<br />
Breakfast presenter came and<br />
interviewed a member with PD and<br />
this was presented in the morning<br />
show.<br />
HERVEY BAY<br />
January: We discussed the year<br />
ahead and potential guest speakers,<br />
the subsidised polo shirts, exercise<br />
classes and medical ID bracelets for<br />
our members as well as social events<br />
for the year. February: John Wood<br />
from Suncare discussed services<br />
available from them and the various<br />
care services available, how to<br />
access them, the ACAT assessment<br />
and home care packages.<br />
March: Was our first social event<br />
for the year and 25 people enjoyed a<br />
most enjoyable event with a member<br />
who lives in Portland Oregan (Sheryll<br />
Reucker) dropping in to catch up with<br />
friends. People with Parkinson’s sat<br />
together discussing the challenges of<br />
living with PD while carers prepared a<br />
mouth watering lunch. Unfortunately<br />
10 of our members could not attend<br />
this meeting.<br />
20 Parkinson’s Queensland Inc.
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