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The first thing to do to suit the needs of Parkinson’s Patients

The first thing to do to suit the needs of Parkinson’s Patients

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The first thing to do to suit the needs of Parkinson’s PatientsFor people with Parkinson’s disease, many everyday activities become more of a challenge as abilities decline. The primary symptoms of Parkinson’s, such as tremor, stiffness, impaired balance, difficulty walking, and postural instability, all contribute to the difficulty of independently carrying out activities of daily living, such as meal preparation, household chores, getting dressed, and bathing. Fortunately, adapting the living environment to the changing abilities and needs of someone with Parkinson’s disease can increase their comfort, safety, and quality of life, as well as helping them to preserve independence for as long as possible.

If you’ve ever had an injury or illness (and everyone has!) you know how something like a sprained ankle or a bad cold can interfere with everyday tasks: going up and down stairs, working in the garden, or making yourself understood over the phone, for example. Now imagine living with Parkinson’s disease, the symptoms of which profoundly affect a person’s mobility, coordination, and mental and emotional state. The degeneration that occurs as a result of Parkinson’s can be incredibly frustrating and disheartening for those suffering from the disease, as well as for their loved ones and caregivers. Especially in the bathroom, as intimate of a space as there is, being unable to perform basic self-care can take a toll. However, with careful planning and attention to detail, the bathroom of a person living with Parkinson’s can be adapted to allow them maximum safety, privacy, and comfort.

The first steps in adjusting the living space to suit the needs of someone with Parkinson’s are also the most basic. Making sure that personal care items—toilet paper, soap, lotions, toothbrushes, denture cleaners, and combs—are in easy reach is essential. Make sure that everything is accessible, without the need to stoop, bend, or reach overhead. Installing easy-to-grasp pulls and handles on cabinets and drawers can be very helpful. Because soap is slippery and easily dropped, trying a bar of soap inside a length of nylon stocking and tying it to a grab bar in the shower is a good idea. As Parkinson’s progresses and people have more trouble walking and keeping their balance, grab bars placed in showers or tubs and near toilets and sinks are a safety necessity. Make sure that bath mats are non-slip to prevent falls, and install a shower seat or a non-slip mat in the shower. As a person’s cognitive abilities deteriorate, it can also be helpful to provide safety reminders, such as a piece of red tape on the “hot” tap, and a piece of blue tape to signal “cold.”

Edison Home Health Care is happy to advise and assist you or any loved one who seek appropriate care for Parkinson problems. Give us a call at 888-311-1142, or fill out a contact form and we will respond shortly.

General Home Care New York

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What are the measures to accommodate growing challenges of Parkinson's patients?

The measures to accommodate growing challenges of Parkinson’s patients

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What are the measures to accommodate growing challenges of Parkinson's patients?Parkinson’s disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder that causes impaired movement, tremors, and a host of other symptoms in its sufferers. Most commonly diagnosed in people over 50, Parkinson’s disease usually appears with subtle manifestations and gets worse gradually over time, often progressing in stages. For the caregivers and loved ones of someone with Parkinson’s, it can be difficult to witness the decline in ability and increasing discomfort that accompanies the disease. However, there are many measures that can be taken to accommodate growing challenges and to preserve quality of life.

Attention to the living environment is essential in insuring the safety and comfort of someone with Parkinson’s disease. Because people with Parkinson’s often have compromised balance, unstable posture, poor coordination, and a shuffling gait, they are at high risk for tripping and falling. The use of walkers, canes, and wheelchairs is often helpful for mobility. Whether or not someone with uses these devices, however, care should be taken to minimize or eliminate obstacles that may pose a tripping hazard or prevent easy navigation of rooms with a walker or wheelchair. Area rugs, exposed electrical cords, raised thresholds between rooms, furniture, and lamps are some of the most common hazards for people with Parkinson’s. Make sure that furniture is placed so that someone in a wheelchair can easily move around it, that decorative items such as sculptures are placed out of the way, and that area rugs are removed or tacked down. Insuring that electrical cords are well out of the way is also essential.

In addition to preventing falls, adjusting the living environment for someone with Parkinson’s includes making sure that doors are easy to open, lights are easy to switch on, and personal items like soap and toilet paper are easy to access without having to reach for them. Replacing door-knobs with handles that are easier for someone with motor impairments to grasp, and insuring that lights can be accessed by someone in a wheelchair, are good steps to take. Sharp edges and corners in the home, such as on kitchen countertops, should be covered. In some cases, it can be helpful to attach pieces of rope or string to cupboard door handles to make them easier to open. Adapting the living environment to the needs of someone with Parkinson’s can increase their comfort and safety, as well as your ability to care for them with confidence and peace of mind.

Edison Home Health Care is happy to assist you or any loved one looking for home care services for Parkinson’s related care needs. Give us a call at 888-311-1142, or fill out a contact form and we will respond shortly.

Elder Care New York

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the challenges of people who are suffered from Parkinson

What are the challenges of people who are suffered from Parkinson’s?

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the challenges of people who are suffered from ParkinsonParkinson’s disease is a disorder of the nervous system that affects many people worldwide, most of them over the age of 50. It is classified as a progressive degenerative disease, meaning that its symptoms worsen over time. Although the onset of symptoms is usually slow and subtle, for some individuals symptoms may appear suddenly and rapidly worsen.

One of the most typical symptoms of Parkinson’s is shaking, or tremor, of the hands, face, and limbs; the vast majority of people with the disorder will suffer from tremors to some degree. Although they may be barely perceptible at first, these tremors often increase in severity over time. Shaking that was once very mild can eventually worsen to the point that it interferes with everyday activities. Imagine trying to dial a phone number, lift a fork to your mouth, or button a shirt when your hands arms are shaking uncontrollably—for people with Parkinson’s, even the simplest tasks can become a major challenge.

In addition to the primary symptoms of Parkinson’s, all of which directly impact movement, many people with the disease will suffer from a host of other symptoms. Psychiatric symptoms, such as depression and other emotional disturbances, are common among people with Parkinson’s. As well as the situational depression that may result from a dramatic change in ability and independence, Parkinson’s can affect the brain chemistry of its sufferers in a way that makes them more susceptible to depression. Chewing, swallowing, and speaking are often difficult for people with Parkinson’s, as control of the voluntary muscles of the mouth and throat decline. This can be extremely frustrating as well as potentially dangerous, as choking, dehydration, and malnutrition can result. Urinary problems and constipation, in addition to skin problems such as dry skin and dandruff, can also lead to decreased quality of life for those with Parkinson’s disease. Sleep disorders, such as insomnia, excessive sleepiness during the day, and sleepwalking can also occur in people with Parkinson’s.

Edison Home Health Care is happy to assist you or a loved one interested in home care services for Parkinson’s related care. Give us a call at 888-311-1142, or fill out a contact form and we will respond shortly.

Home Care Brooklyn

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Primary Symptoms of Parkinson’s Disease

Primary Symptoms of Parkinson’s Disease

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Primary Symptoms of Parkinson’s DiseaseParkinson’s disease is a neurological disorder that effects many people as they age. Although it is most common in people over 50, it can begin to manifest itself earlier. The exact mechanism of Parkinson’s is not precisely understood; we do know, however, that it involves deterioration in parts of the brain that govern movement, specifically the death of brain cells that produce dopamine, a neurotransmitter essential to movement. Parkinson’s disease is a progressive degenerative disorder, meaning that it gets worse over time. An increase in the number and severity of symptoms may happen slowly, or at a more rapid pace.

Primary symptoms of Parkinson’s disease may appear in clusters, or one at a time. One of the most characteristic, and often earliest, manifestations of Parkinson’s disease is tremor and shaking, especially in the limbs, hands, and face. Stiffness and rigidity in the torso and limbs is also typical for people suffering from Parkinson’s. Walking often becomes difficult for people with Parkinson’s, as other primary symptoms of the disorder include poor balance, impaired coordination, and a shuffling gait in place of a normal walking stride. Bradykinesia (slowness of movement) as well as akinesia (inability to move) are also primary symptoms, making locomotion challenging. People with Parkinson’s often exhibit a stooped posture, experience trouble with chewing and swallowing, and have foot pain accompanied by involuntary curling of the toes.

If you suspect that someone you care about has Parkinson’s, it’s important to stay alert to these primary symptoms. Although they may not be seem to be severe in the early stages, Parkinson’s symptoms can none the less progress rapidly. Some Parkinson’s symptoms severely impact quality of life: tremors and shaking, along with poor coordination, can make it hard to perform everyday tasks like dressing, household chores, and self-care. Others can be life-threatening: difficulty chewing and swallowing can increase the risk of malnutrition and choking, while impaired balance and a shuffling gait make serious falls and injuries more likely.

Edison Home Health Care is happy to assist you or a loved one with senior care services. Give us a call at 888-311-1142, or fill out a contact form and we will respond shortly.

Home Care Services Brooklyn

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How to help someone with hearing loss understand and participate in conversation?

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How to help someone with hearing loss understand and participate in conversation

For many individuals, aging is a mixed bag of everyday annoyances, extreme challenges, and wonderful new experiences. While minor and major problems, such as compromised mobility, a change in sleep cycles, or chronic ailments can diminish quality of life for many older individuals, the opportunities afforded by retirement can offset other problems to make this time in life one of great joy. Spending more time with partners and loved ones, watching grandchildren grow up, the opportunity for deeper immersion in hobbies, and the leisure to travel, read, and slow down and enjoy the little things in life can be an absolute delight. In order to enjoy life as much as possible, it’s imperative for seniors to be able to mitigate the not-so-good aspects of aging in order to focus on the good ones.

One of the most common problems experienced by seniors is hearing loss. In fact, everyone begins to lose at least some of their hearing from a very early age. Even people in their twenties hear less acutely than they did as teens! High pitched noises, in particular, become harder for the human ear to detect relatively early on. Most of the time, this isn’t a problem. But after the age of 75, almost half of Americans will have hearing loss that is significant enough to pose a problem in everyday life.

For someone with hearing loss, it can be difficult to understand speech, and thus to follow the flow of a conversation, particularly in places with lots of background noise. This can be extremely discouraging, and, in some cases, lead to social withdrawal due to the frustration of being unable to participate in everyday interactions. For the caregivers, family and loved ones of people with hearing loss, this can be frustrating also. In order to help someone with hearing loss understand and participate in conversation. reducing background noise can be a great way to help. Background noise is a major obstacle to comprehension for people with hearing loss, especially when it comes to picking out consonants. Any time you want to engage in meaningful conversation, or when you want to make someone with hearing loss feel included in a social event, make sure to choose a quiet setting with a low level of ambient noise.

Edison Home Health Care is happy to advise and assist you or any loved one who seek appropriate care for hearing problems. Give us a call at 888-311-1142, or fill out a contact form and we will respond shortly.

General Home Care New York

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