Parkinson’s is a disease that affects 1 in 500 people in the UK. It occurs due to a loss of nerve cells in the brain, and in most cases gets progressively worse over many years.
The disease is more commonly diagnosed in over 50’s and men are slightly more likely to be diagnosed.
In this article, we wanted to educate you on Parkinson’s Disease and provide you with some information about how we, as a Parkinson’s care home in Worthing, can support your loved one.
What are the signs and symptoms?
Generally, individuals with Parkinson’s go through 5 stages of the disease. These can occur over a long period of time and will require varying care needs throughout the 5 stages.
- Initial symptoms will start to show, this may include mild changes to the body on one side, slight tremors or changes in mobility. Generally, at this stage of disease, it will not affect the ability to perform daily activities.
- Daily tasks may become slightly harder to complete on their own and the initial symptoms in mobility will start to worsen.
- The individual will still be relatively independent, but may need support in some areas. Mobility will become slow as tasks such as walking and dressing become more difficult.
- A higher level of support is usually required at this stage, either by a home carer or at a Parkinson’s care home. Balance will be hugely affected at this stage, making the ability to perform daily tasks very limiting.
- The individual will require a wheelchair as walking and standing becomes impossible, they will also require 24/7 care at this stage as brain functionality weakens.
Can Parkinson’s Disease be cured?
As Parkinson’s is a progressive disease, there is unfortunately not yet a cure for it. However, through the NHS there are various treatments that can be done to help maintain a good quality of life for as long as possible. These commonly include:
- Physiotherapy to support with improved mobility
- Occupational therapy to help with the ability to perform daily tasks
- Medication
- Brain surgery
For more information about Parkinson’s Disease, click here.
How can I support a loved one with Parkinson’s?
As well as the medical treatments for Parkinson’s, you can also support your loved one when living at home.
Firstly, it’s important to understand the disease fully so that you can look out for signs and symptoms that may be worsening. It’s very beneficial to keep as active as possible, both in the mind and body, so try to continue to do tasks they would have been doing as part of their normal routine, such as day trips, visits to friends and family members and short walks.
A person’s mental health can also be affected when living with Parkinson’s, so always take time to talk to them about how they are feeling and listen. If necessary, you can get extra support in the form of speech therapists.
Lastly, it’s vital to be patient with them. Symptoms of Parkinson’s may include increased fatigue, so don’t push them too much if this is something they are struggling with.
When is the right time to consider a Parkinson’s care home?
As the disease gets progressively worse, it can be tough on the main carer to see to all the needs that the individual requires.
A Parkinson’s care home means that you can rest assured your loved one is getting the support, treatments and care around the clock and will give you some much needed respite.
At Country Lodge, all our nurses are trained in dealing with Parkinson’s Disease sufferers. We create a bespoke care plan for all our residents, including those with progressive diseases such as Parkinson’s. This may include time with the various therapists that we use such as our physiotherapist that visits our residents every week.
You are welcome to visit your loved one as often as you would like, and even join us for mealtimes. Communication is hugely important to us, so we always keep you informed regularly on how they are doing and if any of their symptoms have worsened.
Contact Country Lodge today
We understand that making the decision to move your loved one into a Parkinson’s care home is a difficult one, but we can guarantee that all our residents have a positive experience from day 1 when living with us.
Our home is relatively small, allowing our nurses on duty to give each resident the care and attention they require all hours of the day.
If you would like to arrange a viewing of our home, we would love to welcome you in. Get in touch by calling us on 01903 830600 or emailing our Manager on manager@countrylodgenursing.co.uk. We get up to all kinds of fun stuff, which you can see more of on our Facebook page.