Caring for an elderly with Parkinson’s disease
Parkinson’s disease is a neurological condition. The most compelling evidence, it affects more than 10 million elderly worldwide. Another critical point, it is a progressive disease, degenerative. Unfortunately, there is no cure. But with effective treatment methods, management is possible to a certain extent. Parkinson’s disease affects movement the most. Also, some studies suggest a decline in the cognitive functioning of the elderly.
Understanding Parkinson’s disease
Managing our emotional thought processes and senses comes from different brain parts. They work in conjugation for the smooth functioning of all neurological processes. For example, body movement occurs due to the active involvement of various brain parts. This part of the brain is the basal ganglia and cerebral cortex. Dopamine is a chemical that signals one part of the brain to another. And these send signals to the various nerve cells called neuron cells.
Neurological results
The death of neuron cells in the brain marks the onset of Parkinson’s disease. When the nerve cells die, they can no longer produce dopamine. As a result, there is no communication between different parts of the brain. This process hampers movement and other activities involving neurological functioning.
As Parkinson’s disease is a life-altering condition. It becomes essential that we give proper support and care to our seniors.
Symptoms of Parkinson’s disease
The early symptoms of Parkinson’s disease are usually mild. This is because the disease affects only one side of the body during the preliminary stage. However, as the disease progresses, symptoms worsen. They are making matters difficult for our elderly loved ones. Understanding the symptoms is necessary to better care for our loved ones suffering from the condition.
Furthermore, having appropriate knowledge would also help caregivers. Take reasonable steps in case of an emergency. Following is a list of symptoms:
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Tremors
This is one of the most typical symptoms of Parkinson’s; however, not all suffer from this. The tremors begin on one side of the body. Usually, with the hands and, in many cases, gradually affects the arms, chin, and legs.
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Movement becomes slow (bradykinesia)
As the disease progresses, movement becomes slow. Our loved ones are unable to move their hands at the same speed. Moreover, the elderly can also not make everyday facial expressions while talking.
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Stiffness
Muscle stiffness causes the affected area to ache. In the early stages, most people think it is due to arthritis or other orthopedic problems.
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Balancing problem
Our loved ones may experience difficulty walking at average speeds initially. They take tiny steps and may trip and fall due to poor balance. Furthermore, our loved ones may also struggle to lift their leg fully. We are causing them to drag their affected foot. Gradually postural problems may also set in, and the elderly develop a stooped torso.
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Cognitive problems
Cognitive impairment may develop and becomes severe as the disease progresses. For example, our loved ones may experience distractibility or forgetfulness. This will cause a slowed-down mental process that makes learning new information difficult. The elderly also face visual-spatial and language difficulties.
Additional Symptoms
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Anxiety
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Restlessness
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Depression
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Profuse sweating
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Sexual problems
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Difficulty in writing
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Increase in frequency of urination
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Difficulty in swallowing
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Constipation
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Sleep disturbance
Caring for an elderly with Parkinson’s disease
Caring for our loved ones with Parkinson’s disease is difficult. The magnitude of the problem, its severity, and the diversity of the symptoms can be challenging. However, the following tips can help caregivers they can take appropriate care of their elderly.
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Body tremors affect their daily activities.
Our loved ones will experience difficulty in getting dressed by themselves. Also, eating has become a significant problem. As a caregiver, you have an essential role to play. Gently help your loved one in getting dressed or while eating. Also, help them with their hygiene. Mealtime is a difficult time due to the tremors their experience. In such cases, serve them meals that are easy for them to eat. You can also help them with plastic ware, so it doesn’t break, even if they drop it. In severe cases, it is best to feed them the food so that they can adequately finish their meal. Furthermore, it is always good to encourage them to carry out their activities independently so that they are not dependent on every slight movement.
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Parkinson’s disease is a disabling condition that brings along several challenges.
Along with treatment, take several steps to manage the symptoms. There are several things that you can do. Encouraging your loved one to undergo exercise regularly can help them a lot. Exercising regularly would help your elderly remain mobile. Also, it would gradually bring back muscle strength. In addition, you also need to encourage your elderly to walk as much as possible. Walking would help progressively restore their balance. And prevent frequent falls and consequent injuries. If your elderly shows interest in exercising. Look for some fitness centers that entertain such patients with Parkinson’s. The best would be those centers which have pools. This is because exercising in a pool will exert less strain on your loved one. Water absorbs maximum body weight, enabling your loved one to exercise efficiently. Adopting all these techniques would not eradicate the symptoms. But will go a long way in effectively managing the symptoms.
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I am enrolled in some support groups.
This will help your loved one to socialize with the same age group suffering from the same condition. Exchanging thoughts and views will help drive away loneliness and depression. Your duty as a caregiver will be to have appropriate transportation for attending the support group meetings.
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Parkinson’s disease can present swallowing and eating problems.
Your loved one can fall prey to malnutrition. Therefore, it becomes your duty to discuss the problem with your doctor. Also, give your loved one foods that would be easier for them to eat.
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Make your loved one’s home a safe place to live.
The home should be fall-proof so your loved ones are not hurt. Remove all unnecessary clutter from the hallway. And areas where your loved one frequently walks around. This would prevent unnecessary falls and accidents. You also need to put the essentials within easy reach. So that your elderly would not have to strain much while reaching for them, another critical point, you also need to install grab bars in the shower. And make arrangements for a shower bench so your elderly loved one can bathe in peace. In addition, you are also required to make the house well-lit so that your loved one can visit the bathroom without any hindrance.
Conclusion
Parkinson’s disease affects different individuals differently. The degree, as well as the nature of the symptoms, also varies to a great extent. Therefore, caregivers should understand the heart of the symptoms. Furthermore, adopting various ways to help your elderly manage the signs would be a great way to help your elderly live a healthy and fulfilling life. All the tips mentioned above should certainly help your elderly manage their disease in a better manner. For more helpful information, check out this site. Also, check out this post on leg tremors for more help.
