Caregiving for a patient with Parkinson's disease

Family caregiver alliance

Caring for a family member or friend with Parkinson's disease can be both time consuming and mentally draining. Studies have shown that most Parkinson's patients are cared for by informal caregivers, the majority of which are women. Almost half of caregivers have a negative impact on their mental and physical health.(Schrag, Hovris, Morley, Quinn, & Jahanshahi, 2006) To avoid some of these negative effects of caregiving and becoming burnt out, caregivers should take time out to care for their own health.


For many caregivers, it is easy to feel isolated and burnt our when attending to loved ones. It is important to take time for yourself as a caregiver to avoid becoming overstressed. For some caregivers, it can be isolating to attend to a patient with Parkinson's every day because distant family and friends may not understand how difficult it can be at times. It is important to know your limit of what you can take on physically and mentally and know when to ask for help. Building a support system with family and friends to share some of the responsibility can provide much-needed breaks. There are also many support groups and resources online dedicated to caregivers of Parkinson's patients. While caregiving is difficult, it is not something that you should have to do alone.

Barrington Behavioral

As a new caregiver to a Parkinson's patient, one of the first, most important, things you should begin to do is educate yourself. Parkinson's is a chronic, degenerative disease, there are many stages and the level of care needed for each one is different. Once you have a diagnosis it is important to talk to a physician about what to expect and more importantly, how to proceed as the disease does.  As a caregiver, it is important to familiarize yourself with medications, different physicians, and insurance. Attending medical appointments is also important to keep up to date with any prescription changes and provide details that your loved one may have forgotten.

Happy healthy caregiver

Staying organized is also key to keep track of any changes in side effects, different appointments, and goals. To get organized it is recommended to make several folders for medical items, bills, and finance information and important property info. Each folder should have comprehension information that allows access to address any problems that may arise. Once are organized and prepared for what comes next, it is important to act as an advocate for your loved one. As a caregiver, you may see signs of the disease or side effects of new medications that other medical professionals missed and as a caregiver, you may be the only person that can promote a positive change.




References:

Caring for the Caregiver. (2015, April 30). Retrieved April 04, 2017, from https://www.barringtonbhw.com/caring-for-the-caregiver/

Caregiver StressNational Parkinson Foundation CareMAP. (n.d.). Retrieved April 04, 2017, from http://caremap.parkinson.org/caregiver-stress/

Caregiver Support Groups Archives. (n.d.). Retrieved April 04, 2017, from http://neurocommunity.org/category/caregiver-support-groups

Organization Tips to help a Family Caregiver Manage a Crisis. (2016, October 02). Retrieved April 04, 2017, from http://happyhealthycaregiver.com/family-caregiver-organization-tips/

Schrag, A., Hovris, A., Morley, D., Quinn, N., & Jahanshahi, M. (2006). Caregiver-burden in parkinson's disease is closely associated with psychiatric symptoms, falls, and disability. Parkinsonism & Related Disorders, 12(1), 35-41. doi:10.1016/j.parkreldis.2005.06.011

Support & Caregiving for Parkinson's Patients: The Michael J. Fox Foundation | Parkinson's Disease. (n.d.). Retrieved April 04, 2017, from https://www.michaeljfox.org/understanding-parkinsons/supporting-caregiving.php