Preparing Yourself to Create a Senior Care Plan for a Senior With Parkinson’s Disease

Senior Care in Manhattan Beach CA

A diagnosis with Parkinson’s disease may not have been something that you anticipated encountering in your senior care journey with your aging parent. If your loved one has recently received this diagnosis, however, you will need to turn your focus to create a care plan tailored to the new challenges of this disease. Caring for an elderly parent with Parkinson’s disease presents different challenges than other conditions. It is important to take each of these into consideration when creating your care approach.

Use these tips to help prepare you to create a senior care plan for a senior with Parkinson’s disease:

• Get as much information as you can. The more you know about Parkinson’s disease, the more confident you will feel about your ability to care for your senior. Talk to his doctor and reach out to the PD community to get help understanding what your parent, and you, are now facing.
• Be flexible. Parkinson’s disease is progressive, which means it will not stay the same over time. Your parent is going to experience a variety of different symptoms that will change over the course of his disease. Be prepared to be flexible with your care and respond to these symptoms.
• Be responsive. The symptoms of Parkinson’s disease can begin very subtly and progress gradually. This can make it difficult for your loved one to notice what is happening. This might put him in danger of experiencing a fall or other serious incident because he does not realize the challenges that he is experiencing. Be vigilant of these changes and offer care tailored to them even if he does not notice them.
• Be supportive. Your parent is dealing with his own issues related to his diagnosis. Make sure that your care includes an element of emotional support and encouragement to help him deal with these challenges. This will help keep him motivated to deal with his symptoms and maintain his highest quality of life possible.
• Seek out help. The symptoms of PD may start subtle but will worsen over time. This means that you are likely to not be able to handle all of the challenges on your own. Building a network of help and support early in the disease will ensure you can meet all of your parent’s needs effectively as it progresses. This network can include family members, friends, and even a caregiver support group.
• Know your limits. As your parent progresses through the later phases of PD it is likely that you will encounter care tasks that are very challenging. Be prepared to recognize and admit your limits so that you protect yourself as you care for your parent. A senior health care services provider can be extremely helpful in fulfilling care tasks that you are not able or willing to handle.
• Prepare for misconceptions. Parkinson’s disease is unusual in that the symptoms often worsen and improve as often as several times a day. This means that people who are not with your parent frequently may not realize just how serious the disease is and may underestimate your care efforts. Be prepared for these misconceptions and make the commitment not to let them discourage you.

If you or an aging loved one needs senior care services in Manhattan Beach, CA, call Livewell Private Care at (310) 933-4986.  Servicing Los Angeles, CA and the surrounding areas.

Source:   http://www.parkinson.org/understanding-parkinsons/caring-for-someone-with-parkinsons/special-challenges-of-caring-for-someone-with-parkinsons