When you think of Parkinson’s disease, you think of a problem involving excessive shaking and tremors. On the surface, it may not seem as debilitating as it actually is. We tend to compare it to other diseases that involve chronic sickness around the clock, like advanced cases of cancer. But Parkinson’s effects are not to be underestimated. These tremors can compromise a person’s entire way of life, and most important to remember is that it is a brain disorder, occurring when neurons, or nerve cells, in part of the brain become impaired or die. So, the tremors you see now are not the extent of the disease. It will progress, and it can cause severe neurological damage over time, threatening the person’s ability to perform simple life functions.
Those shakes can be your key to identifying Parkinson’s and getting your loved one the treatment he needs, though. According to the National Parkinson Foundation, the most basic symptoms are tremors, stiffness, slowness of movement, and difficulty with balance. You can even notice Parkinson’s through signs like cramped handwriting, a stiff facial expression, muffled speech, shuffling walk, and depression. While 15% of the cases afflict people under 50, the majority of cases affect those over 65, leading it to be commonly associated with the elderly. If your loved one has Parkinson’s, he may begin to need help doing normal, everyday things. Dale Anderson is the president of Right At Home, an in-home care agency in Tacoma, Washington. He understands the sensitive need of a Parkinson’s patient and his or her family, and what the relief of in-home care can mean.
Parkinson’s is a disease that can start small and progress to be more serious. In the beginning, your loved one may only need help a few days a week, running errands and doing housework, now that simple tasks have become difficult, even impossible. While as a family, you try to be there as much as possible, there comes a time when you have to delegate certain duties to someone else you trust, out of fairness to your loved one. If you have a job and/or a family, you may just not be able to be there enough. So, when you can’t be, you can trust a caregiver so comprehensively trained as a caregiver from Right At Home.
As time goes on, your loved one’s needs may become more advanced and complex, to include actual medical assistance. Unfortunately, the shaking can become more severe with time, which can call for the need of everyday care, even 24-hour live-in care. This is best offered by a licensed practical nurse or registered nurse. While they will perform basic work like cleaning, cooking, laundry, and errands, as well as providing companionship for your loved one, they are always prepared for medical need or time of emergency. They can give the right amounts of medication at the right times, know what to do in a bout of excessive, violent shaking, and they can also help move your loved one while keeping every muscle safe.
The benefit of an agency like Right At Home that employs different levels of caregivers is that they are ready to handle your every need as it arises. They can send an LPN (licensed practical nurse) several times, then withdraw that care, then begin to send a CNA (certified nursing assistant) for household assistance later down the line, and even later still they can switch to an LPN or RN (registered nurse). They are flexible and sensitive to your needs, and train even RNs who are already certified to treat Parkinson’s patients so that they also extend the Right At Home level of care in addition to expertly trained medical attention.
The information in the article is not intended to substitute for the medical expertise and advice of your healthcare provider. We encourage you to discuss any decisions about treatment or care with an appropriate healthcare provider.
