Are you a caregiver for a person with Parkinson’s disease? If so, then you might have a number of questions surrounding not only the disease, but also the proper way to care for them. While you can certainly find a wealth of information about the best care techniques to offer them online and through home care agencies, there are a few questions that you may want to ask their doctor as well.

One, you should find out what treatment options may be available for Parkinson’s soon. There is a constant flow of research being done and that means there may be new treatment options coming out. Some doctors may have certain information or access that isn’t available to the general public just yet.

Some medications that are being developed could have a positive impact on helping the symptoms of the disease. The more that you know, as a home care provider for someone with this disease, about the pros and cons of certain medications and treatments that may become available soon, the more you will be able to help the patient in your care.

Two, find out from the doctor why he or she is determining a particular medical treatment plan for the patient with Parkinson’s disease. The more than you know about the treatment plan, as the caregiver, the more you’ll be able to do to help the patient.

Some medications and treatment plans may be more effective for certain stages of the disease, which would help you determine what effect the current plan is having, so that you can also relay more accurately to the doctor what effect it’s having at this point in time.

Three, ask the doctor about exercise for the patient with Parkinson’s. There is going to be some level of exercise that the patient does when it comes to Parkinson’s. While medications and other treatment options are going to be crucial to proper treatment, it’s only going to do so much.

The more than you know about the exercises that the patient should be doing, the more you can help him or her get through the individual exercises.

Being a caregiver for a patient with Parkinson’s carries great importance and responsibility. One of those responsibilities is to understand what you can, or should, be doing to help them cope with this disease and live as full of a life as possible.

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Donna Wrabel, LMSW

Co-Owner at At Your Side Home Care

For most of us, the word "home" evokes warm feelings of comfort, security and well-being. For older adults, home also means holding tight to cherished memories and maintaining self-esteem and independence. When illness, injury or age make life a little more challenging, remaining at home in a comfortable, familiar environment encourages recovery and enhances the quality of life. Home can be defined as a private residence, an independent or assisted living facility or even a short term stay in the hospital, we recognize the additional benefits provided by a personal, professional assistant.

Our Certified Nurse Aides, 24-Hour Live-in Assistants and Home Health Aides are available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. We also provide the security and confidence of 24-hour Telephone Assistance, so fast, reliable help is always available when it's needed. To learn more about our homecare services see our homecare services page.

Different people need different levels of homecare. To meet the requirements of our clients, At Your Side Homecare maintains consistent staffing levels of caring professionals. Homecare service is available for as little as a few hours a week, or as many as 24 hours a day, seven days a week

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