Dealing With Parkinson's Disease: A Guide For Patients And Families

Caring For A Loved One With Parkinson's Disease

The caregiver of an individual affected by Parkinson's disease is often their spouse, child, sibling, or another loved one. Caregiving is the actions performed to help a relative or friend with a disability or illness. An individual who is a caregiver for their loved one with Parkinson's disease will experience changes in their role as the disease progresses. A caregiver will most likely manage their medications, schedule their appointments, help with daily care and hygiene, and act as a healthcare advocate. They will also provide emotional support as their loved one learns to cope with their condition.

As a loved one's symptoms worsen, the demands of their caregiver will increase. Some challenges noted by caregivers for a loved one who has Parkinson's disease include frustration around the ability to communicate, chronic fatigue, and the pressing responsibility for injury prevention.

Stages Of Parkinson's Disease

Parkinson's disease is divided into five stages, using a system referred to as the Hoehn and Yahr scale. Several years before diagnosis, individuals with Parkinson's disease may experience depression, fatigue, constipation, sleep problems, anxiety, color vision disturbances, hyposmia, and slowed thinking. Stage I occurs when a patient experiences motor-related symptoms on a single side of their body. Stage II is characterized by the manifestation of motor symptoms on both sides of the patient's body. Stage III is defined by when an affected individual begins to experience balance impairments.

Stage IV describes when a patient has gait difficulty, freezing steps, small and fast steps, problems with swallowing, further balance impairment, and more non-motor-related symptoms like problems with speech. Stage V is the last stage of Parkinson's disease. It is characterized by the inability to move around without assistance and becoming entirely dependent upon a mobility device or wheelchair. Later stages of Parkinson's disease can also produce urinary urgency and frequency, problems with closing the eyelids, and excessive sweating.