How Can Occupational Therapy Help People Living with Parkinson’s Disease?
When someone is diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease (PD), it’s not just the diagnosis that changes life—it’s the way daily routines begin to shift. Simple activities of daily living such as buttoning a shirt, writing a note, or cooking dinner may suddenly feel harder, slower, or less safe. Parkinson’s can make even the smallest daily tasks feel overwhelming.
This is where occupational therapy for people with Parkinson’s disease plays a crucial role. At Occupational Therapy Brisbane, you can explore our Parkinson’s OT services here which are designed to help individuals stay independent for longer, improve safety at home, and remain active in the community.
Whether you’re newly diagnosed or navigating the later stages of the condition, our approach is grounded in person-centred care, best practice guidelines, and tailored intervention for people living with a chronic condition.
So, how can OT help people living with Parkinson’s disease? Occupational therapy interventions help people living with Parkinson’s disease manage daily tasks, reduce the risk of falls, and adapt to changes in movement, cognition, and energy.
A skilled occupational therapist can help tailor interventions that align with the person’s priorities and goals, often addressing both motor and non-motor symptoms that affect occupational performance and engagement in meaningful activities.
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What Symptoms Can Occupational Therapy Help Manage?
Occupational therapists work with people living with PD to support their ability to manage activities of daily living, upper limb function, and cognitive health:
Movement-related challenges, such as hand tremors, bradykinesia (slowness), rigidity, freezing of gait (FOG) or difficulties with coordination.
Everyday activities like dressing, showering, eating, using devices, or getting in/out of bed.
Non-motor symptoms, including fatigue, anxiety, reduced confidence, or cognitive health changes.
Environmental safety concerns, helping reduce falls, improve daily flow and help overcome thinking and memory changes.
By focusing on meaningful activities, OT helps people regain control and adapt with dignity.
How Does Occupational Therapy Help with Parkinson’s Tremors?
Tremors can make hand dexterity, fine motor coordination and everyday actions, like pouring a drink or typing, frustrating or difficult. While OT can’t eliminate tremors, we teach practical strategies to work around them:
Activity adaptation – choosing easier or safer ways to complete tasks.
Stabilising tools – such as weighted utensils, angled mugs, or assistive pens.
Task design – simplifying multi-step tasks or changing the order of movements.
Cueing strategies – using rhythmic or visual cues to initiate smoother movements.
We also explore assistive technology trials, including devices that dampen tremor impact or improve hand control during tasks. Ask your OT about in-house trials designed to help improve hand function and reduce the impact of tremors on occupational performance.
Each person’s needs are unique. That’s why our programs are individually tailored and built around your current symptoms, daily routines, and lifestyle preferences. This type of OT intervention supports clinical effectiveness through practical, evidence-based strategies matched to what a person needs and their goals.
These therapy services often work in coordination with other professionals such as physiotherapists and exercise physiologist, speech pathologist and clinical nutritionist or dieticians as well as your GP and neurologist.
A Parkinson’s-specific OT program might include:
Energy conservation and fatigue management to support longer-lasting independence.
Functional upper limb therapy to improve control, speed, and task-specific movements.
Environmental modifications (e.g. bathroom setup, furniture layout) to promote safety.
Cognitive enrichment activities for attention, memory, and executive functioning.
Lifestyle strategies such as mindfulness, daily planning, and meaningful engagement.
We also integrate our Functional For Life framework, which brings together evidence-based lifestyle changes known to support brain and body health in Parkinson’s (Nag & Jelinek, 2019; Wal et al., 2023). This means the effectiveness of occupational therapy is like building a house – you need good foundations before we do the finishing touches.
How Can OT Reduce Falls or Improve Balance?
Falls are frustratingly common in Parkinson’s—but many are preventable.
Your therapist assess your environment, posture, daily movement patterns as well as your thinking and memory skills ( non – motor skills) to help reduce risks using:
Balance strategies tailored for dual-tasking and turning.
Mobility aids and transfer techniques adapted for home or community use.
Fatigue pacing and rest scheduling to reduce overexertion falls.
Home modifications, such as grab rails, bathroom changes, and improved lighting.
Our aim is to make moving through your home and day feel safer and more predictable.
Can Occupational Therapy Help with Thinking and Memory Issues in Parkinson’s?
Yes. Parkinson’s can affect cognitive functions such as memory, attention, word-finding, and planning—even early in the condition. We understand from experience and research that non-motor symptoms—such as memory, attention, and executive function—can significantly affect quality of life in Parkinson’s disease.
Integrating support for cognitive and emotional changes is central to holistic therapy for patients with Parkinson’s. That’s why we’re strong advocates for early action on this as possible.
OTs support cognitive health by:
Teaching routines that reduce mental load.
Using visual memory prompts and cueing systems.
Integrating digital cognitive programs and assistive tools into your daily routine and everyday activities.
Supporting carer communication and joint-task strategies.
By creating real-world, evidence-based strategies, we help clients stay independent and feel more in control, even with cognitive change.
Is Parkinson’s Occupational Therapy Funded Through the NDIS?
Yes, if you’re under 65 and meet the criteria for the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), you can access occupational therapy for under:
Capacity Building – Improved Daily Living
Capital – Assistive Technology
Home Modifications
We’ve a detailed guide that shows what NDIS OT for Parkinson’s Disease can achieve. In short at OTB you can expect NDIS services to provide:
Functional Capacity Assessments
OT reports aligned to NDIS goals
Support with goal tracking and progress updates
Recommendations for assistive technology and home changes
We also work with Home Care Packages and private health, depending on your funding type and age.
Is Parkinson’s Occupational Therapy Funded Through the Aged Care System?
Yes, as a recognised part of allied health services, occupational therapy for individuals with Parkinson’s can be accessed through CHSP or a Home Care Package following a My Aged Care assessment.
OT programs are designed to help older adults remain safe and independent at home. Clients may receive support for home safety assessments, equipment prescriptions, fatigue management strategies, cognitive health interventions, home modifications, exercise routines and more.
At OT Brisbane, we regularly work with clients receiving aged care funding and can help coordinate services to match your goals when living with Parkinson’s disease.
Not Sure Where to Start? Let’s Talk First.
Sometimes it’s hard to know if occupational therapy is the right fit—or what kind of support you need most. We invite you to give our team a call to talk through your situation. Whether you’re living with Parkinson’s or supporting someone who is, we’ll help you figure out the next best step.
📞 Call us on 1300 783 200 Our team will listen, ask a few helpful questions, and guide you toward the right service—or let you know if we’re not the best fit.
There’s no pressure. Just professional, friendly advice.
Welsby, P. D., et al. (2019). Occupational therapy for people with Parkinson’s disease: A systematic review of effectiveness and intervention components. Clinical Rehabilitation, 33(9), 1441–1454. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31599467/
Advocat, J., Russell, G., & Enticott, J. (2013). Embracing the present: Mindfulness and support group participation in people with Parkinson’s disease. Australasian Journal on Ageing, 32(1), 41–45.
Nag, N., & Jelinek, G. A. (2019). Lifestyle and Parkinson’s disease progression: Evidence and emerging frameworks. BMC Neurology, 19, 47.
Caminiti, S. P., et al. (2023). Lifestyle modification and neuroimaging outcomes in Parkinson’s disease: Emerging evidence. Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry. https://jnnp.bmj.com/content/early/recent
My Aged Care. (n.d.). Support at home – Commonwealth Home Support Programme and Home Care Packages. https://www.myagedcare.gov.au/
Parkinson’s Australia. (2023). Submission to the New Aged Care Act Consultation – Parkinson’s Australia. https://consultations.health.gov.au/ageing-and-aged-care/new-aged-care-act-rules-consultation-release-2a-su/results/224-parkinsonsaustralia.pdf
American Occupational Therapy Association: Julia Wood, Whitney Henderson, Erin R. Foster; Occupational Therapy Practice Guidelines for People With Parkinson’s Disease. Am J Occup Ther May/June 2022, Vol. 76(3), 7603397010. doi: https://doi.org/10.5014/ajot.2022.763001
