Karen Lister, Parkinson's Disease Nurse Specialist
Karen Lister is a Parkinson's Disease Nurse Specialist.
The practical and emotional help she offers to her 300 patients
really helps to improve their quality of life.
 "Before I was
appointed, some of my patients had Parkinson's for 7 years without
seeing a Parkinson's nurse.
"Since I've worked with them, they've noticed a big difference -
when things go wrong they can just pick up the phone and call
me."
Karen Lister
A typical day for Karen
9am - visiting patients in their own homes
 "Every
day is different, but this morning I have 3 half-hour visits to
make to some of my regular patients in their own homes.
"I'm starting out by seeing Cliff, to make some adjustments to
his medication.
"It is incredibly important to get the tablets and doses just
right, so patients can get on top of their symptoms as much as
possible, and minimise any side-effects."
Video - Karen talks about the role of
specialist nurses in clinics and home visits 
12noon - patient education group
"It's now time for my patient education group. This includes a
45 minute educational session – when we invite a therapist or other
health professional to speak to the group.
"The key here is to provide people with Parkinson's with as many
tools as possible to improve their quality of life."
Video - Karen talks about the role of
specialist nurses in referring to other services
3.30pm - hospital training meeting
 "This
afternoon I have a meeting at the hospital to discuss training.
"It is essential that doctors and nurses are able to recognise
the varied range of symptoms attributable to Parkinson's.
"The more that health professionals know, the better equipped
they are to enable early diagnosis and get patients the treatment
they need right from the start."
Video - Karen talks about the role of
specialist nurses in training ward staff
Other video clips from Karen:
Video - The role of specialist nurses in
providing telephone support
Video - The need for more specialist
nurses
Will you help to make sure everyone has a nurse like
Karen?
Over a quarter of people with Parkinson's have never talked to a
Parkinson's nurse.
If you need support or advice in campaigning locally for a
Parkinson's nurse post in your area, please contact Lesley Carter
at lcarter@parkinsons.org.uk
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