Caregiver Corner

Taking Care of Care Partners A big part of making life better for people with Parkinson’s disease (PD) is taking care of the people who care for them.

February is known as the month of love.  With the popular holiday, Valentine’s day, this month often encourages people to express their love for their loved ones and reminds romantic partners to re-focus on their relationships. However, research shows that a diagnosis of a neurodegenerative condition, such as Parkinson’s disease…

Contributed by Kathy Mason Coffee Break: The emotional Roller coaster of Caregiving According to AARP, six in 10 caregivers provide care for adults with a long term physical condition such…

Contributed by Arlene D’Alli, MSW, LCSW and Kathy Mason It’s been said that PD is a “snowflake disease” as no two patients present the same. However, there are many similarities in the caregiver’s journey of how to most successfully deal with it. Caregivers of PD patients are resilient. They…

Caregivers Count Written by Kathleen Mason Between 1990-2015, those diagnosed with PD grew from 2.6 million to 6.3 million worldwide.  Currently, in the U.S., 34 million care for an adult over 50, more than half with a neurodegenerative disease such as Parkinson’s.  You are not alone! Behind each of…

Written by Emma Heaton, OTS How Caregivers are Impacted by Parkinson’s Disease Due to the progressive nature of Parkinson’s Disease, a caregivers role can be long-term it is important to factor in role changes that occur (6). Caregivers strain increases at a quicker rate once an individual symptoms move to…

A great article for patients on psychosis and hallucinations in Parkinson’s disease published on Psych Central: Also Parkinson’s Treatment Tips for Psychosis from the Center for Movement Disorders and Neurorestoration Blog  …

Tips and suggestions for encouraging success for persons with Parkinson’s Disease Dementia  (PDD). Prevent overstimulation Keep the environment simple and quiet Ensure that background noises are kept at a minimal level (TVs, talking, dishwasher, etc.) Keep frequently used rooms free of clutter and with minimal distracting photos Use simple words-do…

These are quick tips to work on with your doctor in case of acute worrisome hallucinations and psychosis in the setting of Parkinson’s disease: Check for a urinary tract infection or pneumonia Consider the medication list and consider that medications may be the underlying cause, or contributing to the cause…