Providing Care For Your Loved Ones With Parkinson’s Disease
Parkinson’s disease is a highly individualized disorder in which two people may experience different symptoms. However, with proper care, you can help your loved one cope with the condition effectively.
As a caregiver to Parkinson’s patient, you can contribute to the wellbeing of your loved one greatly by helping them with medical care. Plus, you can help execute their treatment plan devised by their doctor.
What is Parkinson’s Disease?
Parkinson’s disease is a chronic neurological disorder with no known cure. The disease impairs the patient’s functional capacity and can slow them down. Although it is yet to be discovered why this disease develops, researchers believe that a combination of genetic and environmental factors contributes to its development.
Taking Care of The Patient
Although there is no proven cure for the disease, researchers have developed treatments to minimize the symptoms of the condition. Besides therapeutic methods, your role in improving the quality of your loved one’s life can have a significant impact on their wellbeing.
Increase in the Severity of the Disease
The severity of the disease varies from day to day. You may notice that one day your loved one is functioning normally while the next day they are completely dependent on you. Some caregivers may believe that the patient is being manipulative or unreasonably demanding. We need to understand that Parkinson’s is unpredictable and can pose new challenges for the patient each day.
Another aspect of the disease is that it progresses over time. While medication can be effective in providing temporary relief, it cannot stop the progression of the disease. Therefore, if you notice an increase in the severity of the symptoms in your loved one, you should report it to their doctor. Some enhanced symptoms may include tremors (unrestrained shaking), rigidity (difficulty in moving limbs), and increase in difficulty while walking, swallowing, and talking. The doctor may prescribe a higher dose of medication or alter their course of treatment.
Sleeping Problems
Parkinson’s patients usually suffer from sleep disorders. The medication can make them drowsy during the day and compromise their sleep cycle. Fatigue can contribute greatly to the symptom making them unable to pay attention to their wellbeing.
Sudden Changes in Mood
Nearly half of Parkinson’s patients suffer from depression. Your loved one may experience anxiety and stress that could sometimes make them behave outrageously. Although the exact reason of mood swings is not known, it is believed that anxiety comes from the worrying thoughts of living with the condition.
Anxiety or panic attacks in Parkinson’s patients starts with chronic emotional and physical stress. During the attack, they may have difficulty in breathing and may need immediate medical assistance. In order to provide immediate help to your loved one, consider equipping them with an efficient medical alert system. These systems can provide quicker response time for the necessary care and treatment required.
LifeBeacon Medical Alert System
LifeBeacon is an advanced medical alert system that delivers medical assistance in a quick and more responsive manner. With an average response time of 20 seconds, this system allows you to talk directly to the service operator through your emergency alert device and tell them what assistance you need.
The device does not require you to restrict your activities to a certain area. With no base station, it allows you the freedom to have coverage virtually anywhere.
In addition, real time tracking allows your family members to check your location through a GPS monitoring web portal. The geofence alert gives your family the peace of mind that once you are out of the set radius, they can receive an immediate alert.
