Team

Executive Director of The Hospital Research Foundation Group – Parkinson’s

Olivia’s role is to ensure all services, activities and projects maximise choice, independence and wellbeing for people living with Parkinson’s and other movement and neurological conditions.

Olivia manages and supports the entire team in addition to pursuing training and development opportunities that continuously enhance the quality of support and services on offer. Olivia also advocates for individuals who are pursuing NDIS appeals and other issues at state and federal level.

She was instrumental in obtaining government funding and establishing the Young Onset Parkinson’s Exchange (YOP-X) App which provides information specifically for people under the age of 65 living with Parkinson’s and related conditions. YOP-X removes current barriers for clients and health professionals seeking high quality education and information.

She represents THRF Group – Parkinson’s and was also the founder of Brain x Body Fitness Studio (BBFS) at Unley with plans to progress and open a second facility at Woodville in the future.

Olivia sits on the board of Parkinson’s Australia and is also Executive Director of THRF Group – Stroke and a member of the THRF Group’s Senior Executive Team.

Simone is responsible for the maintenance and development of group programs that support people with Parkinson’s and other movement disorders and their family/carers. She also works closely with other members of the client services team providing an integrated response to the group.

The coordination and management of quality standards and accreditation is also part of Simone’s role, ensuring adherence to Aged Care Quality Standards and best practice in Australian Service Excellence Standards – Parkinson’s currently holds Award Level Certification.

Simone maintains relationships between support group facilitators and Parkinson’s, hosting training and updating sessions annually as well organising relevant topics and speakers for support groups. Simone also identifies opportunities for new regional and metropolitan support groups to meet community needs.

Simone also coordinates the recreational support groups and facilitates the Brushlines Art Group and Wordsflow Writers Groups.

Jo supports people and their families living with Parkinson’s and Neuro and Movement disorders by optimising their knowledge and understanding of treatments, services and support available.

A detailed holistic assessment is carried out on the first visit and provides the basis for ongoing care. It is an important time to identify concerns and issues but also to discuss questions and identify next steps and solutions. During this appointment, an individualised care plan is developed and provided to clients.

The plan is also the foundation for ongoing care with the clinical nurse working closely with other members of the multi-disciplinary team and in partnership with Neurologists, Geriatricians and GPs to ensure early access to health services that improve the person’s quality of life and help them reach their goals.

Narelle Completed the Bachelor of Applied Science in Disability Studies in 2010 and has worked across a variety of roles in the disability sector including direct support, support coordination, Day program development and management, regional coordinator for a disability provider and after-hours escalation management.

She had considerable experience with the NDIS and how to gain positive outcomes from the system. She is passionate about education and how information and understanding can assist a person to make informed choices and improve their quality of their life.

As a wellbeing officer, Narelle is responsible for the education and support of people with Parkinson’s and other movement disorders and their family/carers. She can assist people to better manage their condition and support them in accessing appropriate support through referrals and connections with available services. Her experience with working with the NDIS will support people to better understand their funding and how it can be utilised.

When not working with us Narelle enjoys dancing and the performing arts, usually working backstage managing the costumes. She loves spending time with her grandchildren and travelling, exploring different cultures and gaining new life experiences.

Wendy is responsible for government reporting acquittals including statistics and data, as well as progress reporting to ensure Parkinson’s meets state funding requirements. Wendy works alongside the Allied Health team processing NDIS payments and invoicing, as well as day to day championship and donation processing and reconciliation.

Tayla is an accredited exercise physiologist and manages the day-to-day operations of the Brain x Body Fitness studio. Tayla’s primary role is assessing and prescribing evidence-based exercise programs to studio clients.

Tayla also supervises group exercise classes, conducts specialised sessions and manages administration and promotions. Tayla is also involved in running education sessions at support groups, regional tours and for flinders university students.

Sophie is an accredited exercise physiologist who assesses and prescribes exercise programs, specialised classes and supervises group programs within the studio. Sophie’s role involves optimising member satisfaction and administration involved with the daily tasks of the studio, including exercise program reviews and physical outcome testing.

Christian provides clinical and operational leadership to the Occupational Therapy team. Christian conducts a range of evidence based clinical Occupational Therapy duties such as complex assessments of client needs, service development as well as implementing and monitoring targeted individual and group interventions to support all clients. Christian develops and delivers services and products to maximise choice, independence and wellbeing for people affected by Parkinson’s or another neurological/movement disorder through education, support, and advocacy.

Hannah is responsible for providing Occupational Therapy support to clients of THRF Group – Parkinson’s and Stroke. This includes completion of assessments, interpretation of findings and the formulation and implementation of Occupational Therapy intervention plans in collaboration with clients, primary support people and relevant other clinicians. Hannah also delivers services and products to maximise choice, independence and wellbeing for people affected by Parkinson’s or another neurological/movement disorder through education, support, and advocacy.

Katie is the Project Manager for the Young Onset Parkinson’s Exchange App (YOP-X). The application and website offer an information destination for people needing support with young onset Parkinson’s and provides a valuable workforce tool for NDIS staff.

Developed as a living lab model, the experiences, ideas, knowledge and daily needs of people with young onset Parkinson’s are key features of these unique resources, with more than one hundred individual stories and experiences shared on these platforms. YOP-X is also a quick and easy tool for people with young onset Parkinson’s to collect and collate information relevant to their NDIS applications.

Amelia has been involved with The Hospital Research Foundation Group – Parkinson’s for almost ten years. She reached out to the organisation after her Grandmother, Ida, was diagnosed with the condition and wanted to help raise the profile of the organisation. Sadly, Ida passed away in 2019 but was honoured when Amelia’s daughter was born named Grace Ida, after her two great-grandmothers. Amelia’s interest is in the exciting research being conducted here in SA that could change the lives of people living with Parkinson’s.  

As a former AFL player for the Crows and coach, Mark is respected within the AFL community. Following his own diagnosis with Parkinson’s, Mark has used his profile to raise awareness about the condition and the many support services offered by The Hospital Research Foundation Group – Parkinson’s. Mark is also a proud ambassador of the Brain x Body Fitness Studio and frequently promotes how supervised and specialised exercise at BBFS has helped manage his symptoms and positively impacts his mental health.