How to Care for a Senior Suffering from Parkinson’s Disease (PD)

Parkinson’s disease is a neurodegenerative disorder caused by a degradation of the brain’s nerve cells. It is progressive and may have been present for years before the patient required active care. It manifests itself in stiff muscles and other movement-related issues that become more visible over time. If you are a caregiver for a senior suffering from PD, you will no doubt have to face many issues over the years. But you need to be aware of not just the problems it poses for your loved one but how to mitigate the damage caused by the disease to improve their quality of life. If taking care of a senior with PD has fallen on your shoulders, we can help. Read this blog post prepared by certified caregivers at a well-known retirement home in Hamilton to help your loved one enjoy life to its fullest. Here are the different ways you can handle your role as a caregiver without having to neglect your own well-being.

Tips for Caring for Seniors with Parkinson’s

1. Understand the Disease
Knowing how Parkinson’s affects a senior’s motor skills in their day to day life can help a caregiver be patient and supportive. A big problem most caregivers face is witnessing the degeneration of the senior’s motor skills. They may be able to put on their own socks perfectly one day but not the next. As you take care of your loved one, you will see this is what it is like to live with PD. If you want to help them maintain their independence for as long as possible, let them do whatever they can for themselves on a particular day. Remember to be patient and understand that they may not be able to accomplish certain tasks as quickly as they once could.
2. Offer Assistance
By the time many individuals suffering from Parkinson’s seek diagnosis, the symptoms have become severe to the point that their abilities have become limited. While the senior might still be able to move around, they may find performing simple tasks like getting dressed challenging or downright painful. They may get tired performing everyday chores. If you can’t be with them all the time, make sure you ask someone to check on which tasks they can perform on their own and which ones they need help with.
3. Be Flexible
An aging senior’s symptoms may vary from day to day. Do your best to be flexible and patient. For instance, if you had planned to do something which might get derailed because the patient is having a bad day, give them the best possible chance to perform the tasks at hand before trying to hurry things up because you are frustrated. Additionally, think about removing the burden of certain tasks from your loved one by simply doing them yourself. If the patient, for example, used to pay their own bills or do their own yard work, you can offer to do these for them or hire someone else. Just be sure to inform them about the changes you are proposing before you make them in order to avoid any resentment from their end.
4. Be Involved
Doctors generally encourage caregivers to accompany their loved one to doctor’s appointments. This way you can provide input on the patient’s condition and help the doctor understand the progress of the disease and how treatments are affecting them. Also, point out side effects if you notice any so the doctor can recommend a good course of action. As the disease progresses the patient may experience the onset of dementia, making their memory worse than before. By going with the patient to the doctor, you can remember what they said and remind your loved one of the directions they need to follow. Your role as a caregiver is especially important to the patient’s treatment plan.
5. Manage Medications
Aging seniors living with PD are often prescribed medications to manage symptoms. If the patient already has medications to treat other conditions, it can become confusing trying to keep track of them all. A great way to tackle this situation is to create a medication management plan to be sure the patient is taking the right medications at the right times. Though many people simply use a pill organizer, you may want to set alarms and maintain journals to avoid medication mishaps.
6. Preserve the Relationship
Another thing you should focus on is your relationship with the aging senior, whether you are their adult child, their spouse or their sibling. If your budget allows, you may want to hire someone to take care of some tasks instead of taking on the entire burden yourself. This will free you up to enjoy your time with the patient and ensure that you don’t sacrifice doing things you would have normally done together.
When an aging senior is diagnosed with Parkinson’s, it brings about major changes not only for the sufferer but for the caregiver as well. Whether you are the sibling, spouse or child of a patient, as their caregiver you are sometimes on call 24/7. Though it might feel like your personal life is taking a backseat, it is necessary to be present as much as possible as patients cannot take care of themselves as well as they used to. As the physical demands of caring increase, there may not be anyone else to look after them, but taking care of yourself is important too.