Big and loud at Frankston

St John of God Frankston Rehabilitation Hospital has a specific focus on providing treatment and care for patients with Parkinson's disease. See how the hospital's LSVT Big and Loud program is helping patients reduce the symptoms of the disease.

15 May 2019

St John of God Frankston Rehabilitation Hospital is the first hospital in Australia to offer the LSVT Big for Life and Big for Loud program.

Director of Clinical Services Sally Faulkner said the hospital trained their teams in innovative programs such as LSVT.

"That keeps us in the forefront of whats happening in relation to Parkinson's therapy," she said.

Occupational Therapy Manager Louise Slater said there was plenty of evidence that the programs were effective.

"The LSVT program is a specific therapy that originated in the States and there has been intensive research backing up the program so we know that we are buying into a solid program," she said.

"What happens with Parkinson's is that voice and movement grow softer and smaller, so the LSVT programs look at increasing amplitude and voice or movement as well so it is about exaggerating it and practicing it."