Working with Parkinson’s

In my role as a Parkinson’s specialist nurse, I’m often asked by working age adults, if they should seek early retirement. Not necessarily!! For some coming up to the age of retirement, getting a Parkinson’s diagnosis may be the nudge they need to think about leaving a bit earlier than planned….. for others, they are determined to work on for a variety of reasons.

I think an open discussion with employers about what Parkinson’s is (and isn’t) is valuable. Don’t assume they know about Parkinson’s. Sometimes adjusting hours can he helpful.

Parkinson’s Europe discuss this in more depth in this article - it’s a really interesting view on working after the diagnosis . Please take a look - https://parkinsonseurope.org/parkinsonslife/what-is-it-like-working-with-parkinsons/

If you live in the UK, connecting with local advisors from Parkinson’s UK can be invaluable when navigating HR / Occupational health systems at work - https://www.parkinsons.org.uk/information-and-support/helpline-and-parkinsons-advisers