Kevin's a rebel with a cause
When life changed for Kevin and his wife, Pauline, he pivoted to a new role.
50 Years, 50 Lives
In the lead-up to National Seniors Australia’s 50th anniversary in 2026, Connect is sharing the stories of 50 people who have made contributions to the organisation over those years.
Kevin McAney believes very strongly in speaking up. As a National Seniors Australia (NSA) member and supporter of Parkinson’s Queensland, he is a passionate champion of older Australians.
His decision to join NSA stems from its robust advocacy for seniors.
“It’s an organisation that’s very supportive and advocates strongly for seniors,” Kevin says. “And as I’m now a senior, it’s important that our voice gets out there.
“The ‘silent majority’ doesn’t work. If you don’t make noise, if you don’t advocate for things, then the government ignores you.”
Kevin’s personal crusade for change began in 2018 when his wife, Pauline, received a Parkinson’s disease diagnosis.
True to his nature, Kevin stepped up, not just as Pauline’s carer but as a volunteer and advocate.
“I don’t sit on the sidelines and clap my hands and spectate,” he explains. “I usually try to get in amongst it.
“If you want changes, then you have to make the changes yourself. You have to get involved. Don’t just sit there and say, ‘Oh, that’s terrible. Something should be done.’ Get out and do something.”
His involvement escalated from joining a Parkinson’s Queensland support group in Nambour, on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast, to becoming actively engaged. He assisted with newsletters, helped organise fundraising events, and supported therapy initiatives to help Pauline and others.
Kevin has also participated in fundraising walks for Shake It Up Australia and helped organise the inaugural Sunshine Coast Parkinson’s conference, which attracted over 200 attendees.
Another conference is scheduled for 14 October, featuring top neurologists, exercise therapists, and Parkinson’s nurses.
Pauline is now in residential care due to dementia, which Kevin notes occurs in a “reasonably high proportion” of Parkinson’s cases.
Kevin’s commitment both to his wife and the cause of better understanding Parkinson’s hasn’t wavered – but he underscores the critical need for carers to maintain an outside life for their own mental and physical well-being.
“If you let it isolate you, then it will destroy you.”
For Kevin, hiking offered a win-win solution, allowing him to raise funds for Parkinson’s while socialising with others connected to the cause.
He advises carers to seek support from groups like Wellways for empathy and practical help.
Kevin stresses that there is currently no cure for Parkinson’s, but effective management is possible through a multi-faceted approach.
He says people with Parkinson’s and their loved ones should seek out as much information as they can as soon as a diagnosis is made.
“One of the biggest stumbling blocks is when somebody gets told they’ve got Parkinson’s,” he says. “What do they do next?”
While many people associate Parkinson’s with shaking, Kevin says “the worst signs and symptoms are the ones that they can’t see”.
He stresses that fundraisers and other events are crucial for networking and ensuring people know they are not alone.
Meanwhile, research, including Shake It Up Australia’s collaboration with the Michael J. Fox Foundation, continues to find better treatments for Parkinson’s and, ultimately, a cure.
