I have had the humbling privilege of overseeing personal assistance and nursing care of many Clients with Parkinson’s Disease (PD). This disease is progressive and can take years of a compilation of symptoms before diagnosis. The medical definition of Parkinson’s Disease is a neurodegenerative disorder that affects predominately the dopamine-producing (“dopaminergic”) neurons in a specific area of the brain called substantia nigra.
Symptoms can progress slowly over many years and often the symptoms vary from person due to the diversity of the disease. The most common symptom and the symptom most people notice first is body tremors, particularly those of the hands, often one hand. A lot of the symptoms of PD are movement or “motor skills” related. This could be tremors or also the lack of movement, when walking such as the natural swinging of the arms diminishes, or natural movements of facial expressions cease. Limbs and trunk can become more rigid. Speech often becomes softer and/or slurred. Balance issues and thus falls are often a symptom of PD. A lessor commonly known symptom is a change in handwriting; handwriting often becomes smaller.
There are other symptoms of PD that are not movement related: constipation, loss of smell, depression, disrupted sleep cycles. Often family members miss these lesser obvious non-movement related symptoms because generally these symptoms can be related to many other health issues. However, it is important to take note of these changes as frequently these non-movement related symptoms start years before motor skills become impaired.
Slow progression of symptoms can make it difficult to diagnose early in the disease process. It can be difficult to know when to seek help. It is important to make an appointment with a neurologist if any movement related symptoms are present. To consider a diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease, a person must have bradykinesia (slowness of movement). In addition to bradykinesia, a person must also have one or more of the following:
1. Shaking or tremors in a limb while it is at rest,
2. Stiffness or rigidity of arms, legs or trunk,
3. Trouble with balance and falls.
There is no cure for Parkinson’s Disease however there are medications that can help slow and ease symptoms. Seeking an appointment with a neurologist when any symptoms become present is important as testing can help identify other potential causes of those symptoms.
It is important to seek support and assistance to help an individual and family that has received a Parkinson’s diagnosis. There are local PD support groups to help with the emotional toll this diagnosis can take. The Parkinson’s Foundation is a great resource of information. Getting personal assistance for the person with PD is an important factor that can bring about comfort, physical personal assistance, support, safety and peace of mind for the person and their family. We, Premiere Care Solutions, can provide a holistic assessment, identify team members that have experience with caring for individuals with PD, and customize a care plan in collaboration with the diagnosing physician to provide optimal care and support for the Client.
Author: Laura Cook
