Parkinson's Care

Parkinson’s disease is a progressive nervous system disorder that affects movement. Its symptoms lead to tremors, slowed movements, rigid muscles, impaired posture and balance, changes in speech, changes in their writing, and loss of automatic movements. Every patient is different and may not experience all the above-named symptoms. Parkinson’s symptoms usually start gradually, sometimes with a barely noticeable tremor in one hand, and get worse over time. As the disease progresses, people may have difficulty walking and talking. Currently, there is no cure for Parkinson’s disease, but medication can significantly improve the symptoms. As a result, the patient requires special care and treatment. Parkinson’s disease is second only to Alzheimer’s disease, the most prevalent neurodegenerative disease.

At 365 In-Home Care, we refer care providers that provide exceptional care to patients in their homes or a facility. Care providers have different responsibilities when caring for a patient with Parkinson’s disease as the disease progress it changes over time. Responsibilities may include assistance with activities of daily living, exercising, assistance with self-medication, managing diet, and nutrition under the guidance of the patient’s primary care physician.

Some of the responsibilities of the care providers are listed below.

1.  Help in Exercise:

It is important for people with Parkinson’s disease to exercise regularly. Regular exercise helps people with Parkinson’s disease to maintain balance and movement. Our care providers help the patients to do a range of motion exercises daily or as recommended by the patient’s physician.

2. Eating – Maintain Diet and Nutrition:

Care providers follow the recommended diet plan provided by the patient’s primary care physician and or nutritionist when preparing the patient’s meals. As Parkinson’s disease enters its late stage, it starts to affect the muscles in the patient’s mouth, making chewing difficult. This can lead to choking and poor nutrition. The care providers can assist the patient with feeding to avoid a choking situation and ensure they are getting the proper nutrition.

3. Work According to the Situation:

Care providers will know how to assess the changes their patients experience as the disease progress and can provide care based on the patient’s condition. At the early stage, the care providers encourage and support the patient in completing their daily physical exercises and assist them due to their slowness in movement.

4. Monitor Motor and Non-Motor Symptoms:

Care providers monitor any changes in the patient’s symptoms, movements, and behaviors and keep the family members and patient’s physician informed of these changes. The motor symptoms include slowness of movement, dizziness, freezing, and muscle cramps. Non-motor symptoms consist of fatigue, pain, low blood pressure, and bowel problems.

5. Assisting with Self Medication and Medication Management:

Care providers assist the patient with their medication by reminding them when to take them and the ones they should take. An LPN or RN can be referred if the patient has pillboxes to fill and does not have a family member to manage that for them. 

6. Provide Safety:

As patient loses their balance they can fall. The care providers help patients to move around and provide a safety net by walking beside them. They assist the patient with going to the restroom and assisting during their showers to prevent the patient from falling.

7. Travel Assistance:

People with Parkinson’s disease can not drive. Our care providers can provide travel assistance to patients by accompanying them to appointments, therapy sessions,  grocery shopping, doing other things, or going to other locations.

Patients with Parkinson’s disease require professional care, and care providers at 365 In-Home Care provide the best care for your loved ones whether they are at home or in a facility so that they come back to everyday life.