Tips for Aging in Place with Parkinson’s Disease
Every year, over 60,000 United States citizens are diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. This is a progressive, chronic brain disorder that leads to muscle stiffness, balance issues, and uncontrollable body movements. Speech with Parkinson’s may be expressionless and slow. Personality changes may occur, as well. If your elderly loved one has Parkinson’s disease, there are some tips for aging in place that can help them out as much as possible.
Getting Care Coordination and Transportation
Home Care Philadelphia, PA: Parkinson’s Disease
If your elderly loved one does have this disease, it is important that someone is coordinating their care. It could be you or you could work with Parkinson’s home care providers and your elderly loved one’s doctors. They are likely going to have multiple doctors who are involved in their care.
In addition to making sure someone is coordinating their care, someone should be available at all times to transport them to and from appointments, to town, and anywhere else they might need to or want to go, as well.
Medication Reminders
People who have Parkinson’s disease are going to be on many medications. Some of them treat the cause of the disease and other medications for symptom relief. The medications will only be effective if the patient takes them correctly. This means that you or Parkinson’s home care providers may need to remind your elderly loved one to take their medications.
Getting Help with Meals
There are many symptoms of Parkinson’s disease that make it difficult for the patient to prepare and make meals. Near the later stages of the disease, your elderly loved one may not be able to cook at all. They may also need help eating. It is crucial that someone is available to help plan out meals, prepare the meals, cook the meals, and even feed your elderly loved one if it is needed. Someone will also need to be available to ensure your elderly loved one’s food is thin enough that they don’t choke on it since the muscles in their throat will experience issues over time, too. You can hire home care providers who are trained in this disease and the care of it.
Fall Prevention
Once the symptoms start setting in from this disease, your elderly loved one’s risk of falling will increase a ton. They might fall due to balance issues, from tremors, or due to the stiffness in their body. Most people who have this disease will end up in a wheelchair. They may have a cane or walker earlier on, though. Someone should be around to help prevent falls for your elderly loved one.
Conclusion
These are some of the tips for helping your elderly loved one who has Parkinson’s disease to age in place. Hopefully, using these tips and any treatments their doctor has for them can help to improve their quality of life as much as possible. If you have more questions about the disease, talk to Parkinson’s home care providers and your elderly loved one’s doctors.
If you or an aging loved one are considering Home Care in Philadelphia, PA please contact the caring staff at True Direct Home Health Care today.
Sources
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3852257/
Doc, as he is called by everyone - staff, patients and clients - first experienced home health care and hospice care while as a colleg student at King's College as he cared for his mother every day while she first battled COPD and then lung cancer. It was during this time that he came to understand that caring for a patient was more than just clinical expertise.
"Admittedly, my strongest attribute is my communication skills and the simple fact that I love to help people. Even the smallest thing you can do for someone really can mean so much to them long term. In fact, it could change them forever. That's what providing quality personal home health care should be all about."
In his spare time, he cooks for homeless shelters and children's music and arts events. He also is highly involved in his local youth sports soccer academy as a coach and Board member.
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