An interview with Margarita Makoutonina: My Life Is A Journey For Empowering Others
Biography
Margarita and Svetlana Makoutonina are the founding directors of ParkiLife Australia Pty
Ltd, World Parkinson Coalition’s organizational partner.
Margarita Makoutonina is an Occupational Therapist with a Masters Degree in Education and a nursing background. She is the member of WPC Committee for Global Equity, Access and Inclusion, Australasian Ambassador for the 3rd World Parkinson Congress (WPC), member of Scientific Committees and the faculty member for the MDS, WPC and MDPD Congresses where she presented numerous research papers on the holistic/interdisciplinary rehabilitative approach for People with Parkinson’s.
Margarita is an active participant in the international multidisciplinary Movement Disorders network. Margarita is one of the leading members of the Health Professionals Interest Group of the Movement Disorders Society where she has been actively involved in developing and launching the website for Health Professionals; an instigator for the inclusion of Health Professionals in Scientific Committees, as well as a section of the Scientific Program devoted to the Health Professionals. Margarita is a passionate advocate for education and research in Parkinson’s disease and Palliative Care. Her main research focuses to date have been on providing evidence-based treatments for patients with Parkinson’s disease and advocating for equal care for minority health groups. She has developed and delivered specialist training packages nationally and internationally for health professionals, consumers and carers. Margarita for her passion in establishing specialized Multidisciplinary Movement Disorders programs, was awarded with Dr Rana International Community Service Award and nominated as a Member of the Education and Development Committee of World Parkinson’s Education Program.
Please tell me a little about your background.
Born in Former USSR/Soviet Union, Worked as a principal of primary school and primary school teacher. Together with my daughter (of 7 years old) migrated to Australia Dec 1992, with no English, no relatives in Australia started a new life in Australia.
Today, I am an internationally recognized Health Professional with a specialty in Parkinson’s disease, being invited to run training Australia wide and internationally for medical and health professionals, patients with PD and the carers; develop and establish multidisciplinary teams with a specialty in PD
The WPC launched its Ambassador program in 2011 to encourage more people with Parkinson’s (PwP) to attend the WPC 2013 in Montreal. I was one of the first WPC Ambassadors.
What is your passion and how did you get involved in Parkinson’s awareness and hope for a cure?
I am very passionate about finding a cure meantime, sharing my knowledge and expertise nationally and internationally via developing and delivering training package of different competencies for Health Professionals, patients and their carers; to foster a multidisciplinary and evidence-based approach to the treatment of Parkinson’s
I am very honored and passionate working together with World Parkinson Association as ParkiLife Australia is one of the WPC partners
What type of goals does individuals with Parkinson’s have when working with you?
Improving their quality of life; obtaining knowledge about how they can manage their symptoms especially in the setting of medication failure or ineffectiveness; how to stay active in life, enabling them to continue working; how to get involved in Parkinson’s community working toward finding a cure; how to become an Advocate of own rights and needs
What type of training and how long are the programs?
Training / programs are of competency, graded to different levels of expertise and directed to a variety of disciplines, for medical and health care professionals involved in the provision of care to people with Parkinson (PwP); for People with PD and their carers; as well as for volunteers.
in developing of a range of educational and training activities which will establish levels of competency for students of different disciplines.
The training program has a proactive approach to management, identifying problems early and instituting appropriate management; a specialist knowledge base, exposure to best practice and experience in management of all problems seen in PwP
What effect can it have on an individual with Parkinson’s?
PwP are empowered to make decisions about their own health care and to be actively involved in management of their disease to enable themselves to live a good quality active life.
What would you like to see as a future goal for your programs?
I would love to travel around the world, no matter of a country but people, delivering those programs around the world, empowering all with the knowledge whilst scientists are looking for a cure and prevention.
What events do you participate in? National and international conferences/congresses; Running workshops around the world; advocacy campaigns.
MDP: Margarita is a member of the Health Professionals Working Group, Movement Disorders Society. She has been actively involved in developing the website for the Health Professionals, Movement Disorder Society.
WPC: Ambassador; Member of Scientific committees; member of the WPC Building Global Alliances Group;
Being invited by different countries over the years to take a part in the conferences. A few last years examples are
- by Singapore MINISTRY OF HEALTH MANPOWER DEVELOPMENT PLAN as HMDP visiting Expert
- Italian Neurological Association as a faculty – 3rd MIRT National Congress https://www.edumed.it/en/courses/403
- EMA / Educational Medical Alliance to present a program to improve the quality of diagnostics and treatment of degenerative diseases of the central nervous system in the Russian Federation
How does this also assist the caregivers?
Caregivers are also impacted by PD. Our education programs empower them with the knowledge and tools to live life and not just manage but have a good quality of life, reduces fear by obtaining knowledge; become advocates of their needs and the needs of their loved one with PD
How can someone get in touch? What is your website?
My email address rehablady1@gmail.com; Facebook https://www.facebook.com/margarita.makoutonina/photos
How can others also become advocates for awareness?
Getting in touch with the local associations; national and international
If you had one final statement or quote you could leave for the Parkinson’s community, what would it be?
We are in this together… I love what I do, and I do what I love!