Parkinson’s: practical support for everyday life
For people living with Parkinson’s and the families who help. What it is, the questions people search for, what helps day to day, and where the NDIS, aged care and Kinship fit in.
- Registered NDIS provider (4-GWVHCEY)
- Same support worker every visit
- Free plain-English guide to download
What is Parkinson’s?
Parkinson’s is a progressive neurological condition. It happens when nerve cells in the brain can’t make enough dopamine, a chemical that helps control movement (healthdirect). It mainly affects movement and mood, and changes over time.
The best-known signs are tremor, stiffness, slowness and changes to posture. But Parkinson’s isn’t only about movement. Fight Parkinson’s lists non-motor symptoms such as pain, depression, sleep problems, memory changes, constipation and bladder problems, and notes these can affect daily life as much as the movement changes.
Most people are diagnosed around 65, and about 1 in 10 are diagnosed before 45 (healthdirect). There’s no cure yet. Medicines, surgery for some people, exercise and lifestyle changes can help manage symptoms, and it’s possible to live with Parkinson’s for a long time (Fight Parkinson’s).
A note on words: we say “Parkinson’s” rather than “Parkinson’s disease”, following Fight Parkinson’s guidance on the community’s preference. Estimates of how many Australians live with Parkinson’s vary between sources, from more than 150,000 (Parkinson’s Australia) to about 219,000 (Fight Parkinson’s).
Figures: Parkinson’s Australia (50 a day); healthdirect and Fight Parkinson’s (age at diagnosis, anxiety and depression). General information only, not medical advice. Talk to your GP or health team about your own situation.
The questions people search for
These are the questions Australians type into Google about Parkinson’s, answered from the organisations that know it best.
What are the early signs of Parkinson’s?
Early symptoms can be vague: fatigue, mild depression, restlessness or localised muscle pain (healthdirect). A reduced sense of smell can appear years before movement symptoms (Fight Parkinson’s). See your doctor about shaking, stiffness, balance problems or slowed movement.
Is Parkinson’s hereditary?
Doctors don’t yet know the exact cause. Contributing factors include ageing, genetic changes, exposure to toxins, some medicines and infections (healthdirect). Ask your GP about your own family history.
Is Parkinson’s a form of dementia?
No. It’s classed as a movement disorder. Some people do have changes in thinking and memory over time, and Fight Parkinson’s covers this in its symptom information. Raise any change with your doctor.
How long can you live with Parkinson’s?
Fight Parkinson’s says Parkinson’s doesn’t directly cause people to die, and it’s possible to live with it for a long time, although symptoms do get worse over time.
Is Parkinson’s covered by the NDIS?
It can be, if you apply before you turn 65 and meet the other rules. As of March 2025 there were 4,500 NDIS plans listing Parkinson’s as a primary or secondary condition (AIHW). If you’re 65 or older, support comes through aged care.
Does Parkinson’s cause incontinence?
It commonly leads to constipation and bladder problems, including urgency, frequency and needing to go at night (Fight Parkinson’s). The National Continence Helpline gives advice on continence and Parkinson’s.
What helps, day to day
Small, practical things that make a week easier. Take what fits and leave the rest.
Keep moving
Exercise may slow the progression of Parkinson’s and help with mobility, posture and mood (healthdirect). Physios and exercise physiologists can tailor a program.
Fibre and water
A high-fibre diet of fruit, vegetables and grains, with plenty of water, can help prevent constipation (healthdirect).
Make falls less likely
Walking, freezing and falling are common challenges (Fight Parkinson’s). Clear paths, good lighting and the right equipment help.
Mood is part of it
Anxiety, depression and apathy can be symptoms of Parkinson’s itself. Tell family and the doctor, so they’re treated, not mistaken for not trying (healthdirect).
You don’t have to do it alone
Parkinson’s Australia info line: 1800 644 189. Fight Parkinson’s information line: 1800 931 031. Both are free.
How the NDIS can help
To be eligible for the NDIS you need to be younger than 65 when your application is received, an Australian citizen or permanent resident (or Protected Special Category visa holder) living in Australia, and have an impairment that’s likely to be permanent and substantially reduces your ability to do everyday things.
Many people are diagnosed around 65, so age matters here. You must be younger than 65 on the day your NDIS application is received. If you’re 65 or older, aged care is the path: contact My Aged Care on 1800 200 422.
A plan can fund support workers for help at home, personal care and getting out, plus supports that build skills. Start by calling 1800 800 110 or your local NDIS partner. The NDIS says it will decide within 90 days once it has your application and all your evidence.
The NDIS is changing
New NDIS laws passed in August 2026. From 1 October 2026, budgets for social and community participation and for daily living skills are being reduced as plans are reassessed or newly approved, and a new way of planning is due from April 2027. Check ndis.gov.au for the latest.
What’s changing (ndis.gov.au) →Support at home and in the community
We support people, not diagnoses. For someone living with Parkinson’s, this is where we can help.
Daily living and personal care
Help with showering, dressing, meals and the house, at a pace that works on slow days too.
Daily living support →Medication management
Medication management is one of our registered high intensity supports.
High intensity support →Community participation
Getting to exercise classes, appointments, the club and the shops.
Community participation →Aged care is a different system
Our CHSP-funded aged care is domestic assistance only, in Northern Sydney and the Southern Highlands. We’re applying to deliver Support at Home but can’t take clients under it yet.
Home care: coming soon →Private nursing and help at home
Anyone can book privately while funding is sorted, or alongside it. Private nursing is from $120 an hour plus GST. Other services: call for a quote.
See private prices →The same face every visit
The same support worker comes every visit, so nobody has to explain themselves to a stranger each week. Families get updates as standard.
About Kinship →Kinship Uniting Services is a registered NDIS provider (4-GWVHCEY), operating in disability and aged care since 2017. We’re based in Colebee and support families across Western Sydney, from Blacktown, The Ponds and Marsden Park to Rouse Hill, Riverstone and Windsor.
Take it with you
The free Parkinson’s guide is a printable PDF of this page, with a checklist and the numbers to call. Easy to share with family, your GP or your support coordinator.
Referring someone?
Support coordinators, plan managers, discharge planners and case managers: a short call is the fastest way to check whether we can help.
For referrers →Continence products and advice
Bladder and bowel changes are common with Parkinson’s. For independent advice, the National Continence Helpline (1800 33 00 66) is free and staffed by nurse continence specialists.
Equipit sells continence products such as adult nappies and continence briefs. Equipit is the product-supply arm of Kinship Uniting Services, an NDIS registered and CHSP approved provider since 2017.
Disclosure: Equipit is part of the same family of businesses as Kinship, and Equipit itself is not NDIS registered. You’re free to buy from any supplier. Agency-managed NDIS funds can’t be spent with Equipit; if you’re self-managed or plan-managed, check with your plan manager first.
More free guides
Plain-English guides for the parts of the NDIS and caring that trip people up. Swipe to see them all.
How to apply for the NDIS
Eligibility, evidence and the application, step by step.
Read the guide →After you apply for the NDIS
What happens while you wait, and what to do with the decision.
Read the guide →Understanding your NDIS plan
Budgets, funding periods and how to read your plan.
Read the guide →Choosing an NDIS provider
Questions to ask, and how to check a provider’s registration.
Read the guide →Looking after yourself as a carer
Practical support for the people who are always there.
Read the guide →Questions families ask us
Can Kinship help someone with Parkinson’s who is over 65?
It depends on where you live and how support is paid for. Our CHSP-funded aged care is domestic assistance only, in Northern Sydney and the Southern Highlands. We’re applying to deliver Support at Home but can’t take clients under it yet. Anyone can book our private services.
Can support workers help with medicines?
Medication management is one of our registered high intensity supports. Your doctor and pharmacist decide the medicines. We help make sure they’re taken as prescribed.
Will the same support worker come each time?
Yes. The same support worker every visit, so they get to know the good days and the slow ones.
What support is there for family carers?
Carer Gateway (1800 422 737) offers free services for carers. We keep families updated as standard.
Where can I get Parkinson’s-specific advice?
Parkinson’s Australia’s info line is 1800 644 189. Fight Parkinson’s runs a free information line on 1800 931 031.
Is this page medical advice?
No. It’s general information only. Talk to your GP, neurologist or health team about your own situation.
Where this information comes from
- healthdirect: Parkinson’s disease
- Fight Parkinson’s: What is Parkinson’s
- Fight Parkinson’s: Signs and symptoms
- Fight Parkinson’s: Support and services
- Parkinson’s Australia: Statistics
- AIHW: Parkinson’s disease in Australia
- NDIS: How to check your eligibility
- NDIS: What are the NDIS disability requirements
- NDIS: How to apply
- NDIS: Securing the NDIS for future generations (new NDIS laws)
- NDIS: New way of planning
- My Aged Care (phone 1800 200 422)
- Continence Health Australia: National Continence Helpline
- Carer Gateway
The questions in “What people ask” reflect Google Australia search suggestions, checked 4 October 2026. Figures are quoted from the organisation named; check the source for the latest. General information only, not medical advice. Talk to your GP or health team about your own situation. Page reviewed October 2026.
Let’s talk about what you need
A short phone call is usually the easiest start. We’ll ask a few questions, tell you plainly whether we can help, and agree next steps together.
Registration 4-GWVHCEY. How to check any provider’s registration in two minutes.