%0 Journal Article
%T A comparison of specialist rehabilitation and care assistant support with specialist rehabilitation alone and usual care for people with Parkinson's living in the community: study protocol for a randomised controlled trial
%A Heather Gage
%A Sharlene Ting
%A Peter Williams
%A Karen Bryan
%A Julie Kaye
%A Beverly Castleton
%A Patrick Trend
%A Derick Wade
%J Trials
%D 2011
%I BioMed Central
%R 10.1186/1745-6215-12-250
%X A pragmatic three parallel group randomised controlled trial involving people with Parkinson's Disease and live-in carers (family friends or paid carers), and comparing: management by a specialist multidisciplinary team for six weeks, according to a care plan agreed between the professionals and the patient and carer (Group A); multidisciplinary team management and additional support for four months from a trained care assistant (Group B); usual care, no coordinated team care planning or ongoing support (Group C). Follow up will be for six months to determine the impact and relative cost-effectiveness of the two interventions, compared to usual care. The primary outcomes are disability (patients) and strain (carers). Secondary outcomes include patient mobility, falls, speech, pain, self efficacy, health and social care use; carer general health; patient and carer social functioning, psychological wellbeing, health related quality of life. Semi structured interviews will be undertaken with providers (team members, care assistants), service commissioners, and patients and carers in groups A and B, to gain feedback about the acceptability of the interventions. A cost - effectiveness evaluation is embedded in the trial.The trial investigates components of recent national policy recommendations for people with long term conditions, and Parkinson's Disease in particular, and will provide guidance to inform local service planning and commissioning.ISRCTN: ISRCTN44577970Parkinson's disease is a degenerative neurological condition that affects mainly older people, but also significant numbers with young onset [1]. Although designated a movement disorder, it additionally inflicts a range of distressing non motor symptoms. As the disease progresses, people with Parkinson's become increasingly dependent and a considerable burden is carried by family carers. The mainstay of management is a pharmacological regimen which gradually becomes less effective, and more complicated. This
%K Parkinson's disease
%K Multidisciplinary rehabilitation
%K Domiciliary
%K Randomised controlled trial
%U http://www.trialsjournal.com/content/12/1/250