Skip to main content

About Us

About Duncan Foundation

The Duncan Foundation is a national support service for people living with neurological conditions, and the health professionals who treat and support them. Our vision is for New Zealanders with neurological conditions to live to their maximum potential. Our mission is to provide new and essential clinical services to improve the lives of New Zealanders with neurological conditions. The Duncan Foundation makes these comprehensive services and resources available through our website and a national network of specialist clinics and health professionals.

The Duncan Foundation’s current focus is on dystonia, Friedreich’s ataxia, the late effects of polio and recently diagnosed Parkinson’s, adding spinocerebellar ataxia(SCA) and other inherited ataxias in 2020. We will expand our services to people living with other neuromuscular and neurological conditions as we develop.

We provide effective assessment and referrals where required, and support in the management of conditions. The Duncan Foundation funds the assessment and planning phase and works with DHB services to utilize existing services. Where needs are not met through existing channels, the Duncan foundation intends to fill that gap by listening to people and their families’ needs and supporting their self-management at a personal level and through community engagement. We intend to develop specialist services such as gait analysis and training, specialist gyms and hydrotherapy, speech, swallowing, sleep and nutrition advice as we find out what people want and need.

Our website gives access to the information needed to provide day to day support, allowing carers and supporters to feel confident about the information they have and the treatment and rehabilitation options available. For practitioners, the Duncan Foundation Online knowledge centre provides ‘Best practice’ fact sheets (symptoms and management, assessment guidelines), Info on additional training support or professional supervision and specialised equipment. It will encourage and facilitate information sharing between practitioners and have a real person on the phone.

Duncan Foundation works with other not-for-profit and community organisations such as the DPA, Rotary, Societies representing neuromuscular and neurological conditions, Patient Support Groups, the Sir Thomas and Lady Duncan Trust and others as well as Government Organisations and decision-makers including the MoH, Disability Services, Directors of Allied Health, Head Clinical Advisors and Working Groups.

We hope that the impact of our work for people living with neurological conditions with be increased capacity and capability, better participation in normal life, an improved sense of community, enhanced advocacy and policy change, and improved clinical practice all of which will lead to an improved physical and social environment for people living with neuromuscular and other neurological conditions.

Duncan Foundation Overview Video – Go To

We currently support: Dystonia, Late Effects of Polio, Friedreich Ataxia, Recently Diagnosed Parkinson’s and Spinocerebellar Ataxia.

Conditions We Support

Established in late 2017, the Duncan Foundation is a national support service for people living with neuromuscular and other neurological conditions, and the health professionals who treat and support them. Our current focus is on supporting people living with  dystonia, Friedreich’s ataxia (FA), the late effects of polio (LEoP), Recently (~1 year) Diagnosed Parkinson’s (RDP) and spinocerebellar ataxia (SCA). We will  expand our services to include other neuromuscular and neurological conditions as we develop.

Our Purpose

The Duncan Foundation provides access to expert assessment and clinical practitioners who understand the management of selected neuromuscular and neurological conditions as well as ongoing support for the person and their families. Our vision is for New Zealanders with neurological conditions to live to their maximum physical potential. Our mission is to provide new and essential clinical services to improve the lives of New Zealanders with neurological conditions.

Our goal is to empower people with neurological conditions to live to their maximum potential.

Our Goal

As set out in the Trust deed, the objects of the Trust include:

  • To support or establish a number of clinics in New Zealand that have the capacity to assess people throughout the country who have or have had neurological conditions for the purpose of guiding rehabilitation and ongoing support.
  • To develop a national network of affiliated clinicians and health professionals who can work with the clinics to provide the best possible multi-disciplined consultation teams.
  • To establish a web-based platform to support the work of the Trust.
  • To develop and deliver educational resources so that general practitioners, clinicians, health professionals, and needs assessment and service coordination assessors have the information they need to properly understand those living with neurological conditions or the late effects of those conditions.
  • To work with district health boards and public health organisations to integrate the clinics as far as possible with the public health system.
  • To work with other organisations which also support those with neuro muscular condition to a) explore opportunities for collaboration and b) avoid duplication.
  • To raise funds to support the objects of the Trust.
  • To fund the treatment and or equipment needed for the ongoing rehabilitation and support people who have or have had neurological
    conditions.
  • To develop and support on an ongoing basis, any other activities related to a neurological condition.
Translate »