Addressing the Motor Symptoms of Parkinson’s Disease in Your Elderly Care Journey

Elderly Care in Malibu CA

Parkinson’s disease impacts around 1 million people throughout the United States, with approximately 60,000 new cases being diagnosed each year. If this disease has become a part of your elderly care journey with your aging parent, it is important that you take the time to educate yourself on the potential signs and symptoms that they might experience, as well as what you can do to help manage them. This will give you greater confidence moving into this new chapter of your care experience, and help to ensure that your elderly loved one can experience the highest quality of life possible.

For many people suffering from Parkinson’s disease, the first truly evident symptoms are those that are referred to as motor symptoms. These are those that impact the way that the body moves or your parent’s ability to control their body movements. These can be as simple as minor tremors or as complex as large involuntary movements or getting “locked” into place when standing. Having ways to help your parent cope with these motor symptoms can help to keep them safer, support ongoing independence, and increase their ability to continue participating in the activities of life.

Use these tips to help your parent cope with the motor symptoms of Parkinson’s disease:

• Slowed movement. Also known as bradykinesia, this condition is characterized by slowness to perform certain actions or feeling as though you cannot do them as quickly as you want to. This can be extremely frustrating both for your aging parent and for you. When this symptom arises, be sure that you are using patience to evaluate the situation. You need to determine if your parent truly needs you or an elderly health care services provider to step in and help them complete the task at hand, or if you should just give them more time and let them handle it on their own. Remember that independence and a sense of autonomy are extremely important to elderly adults and that suppressing these could have negative health consequences for your parent.
• Tremors. Shaking of the hands, feet, and legs are arguably the most recognizable of symptoms for Parkinson’s disease. While these can be very mild and seem more of a nuisance than anything, they can also be more marked and make it difficult for your parent to handle basic tasks. Use modified tools such as weighted utensils to help your parent keep up with tasks such as eating and grooming when experiencing these tremors.
• Unsteady gait. Major changes in your parent’s gait, balance, or stability can pose serious dangers. If your parent is having difficulty walking properly, be aware of the increased chance of falls and potentially severe injuries associated with these falls. Make modifications to the home to reduce the chance of falls, such as installing handrails or putting up gaits to control access to certain features of the home. An elderly health care services provider can also be invaluable in providing support and mobility assistance when performing certain tasks such as getting up and down the stairs, in and out of bed, or in and out of the shower or tub.

If you or an aging loved one needs elderly care in Malibu, CA, call Livewell Private Care at (310) 933-4986.  Servicing Los Angeles, CA and the surrounding areas.

Sources:

http://www.parkinson.org/understanding-parkinsons/motor-symptoms

http://www.healthcommunities.com/parkinsons-disease/incidence-prevalence.shtml