Are There Any Effective Ways to Manage Parkinson’s Disease?

When your loved one is diagnosed with Parkinson’s, you may be worried because you know that it is not curable. Luckily, there is much research being done on this disease, and there are very effective ways to manage the disease now. However, if you worry about your loved one aging in place, it may be time to consider hiring home care assistance to help your loved one suffering from Parkinson’s. You may notice they cannot do certain things on their own, so they stop doing activities, wearing certain clothes, or things like hygiene are out on the back burner. All of these are good examples of when home care assistance is necessary for your elderly loved one to thrive. Here are some of the most effective ways to manage Parkinson’s.

Start with Lifestyle Changes

Unfortunately, lifestyle can’t change the course of Parkinson’s, but it can help manage the disease. Seniors with Parkinson’s may want to stop moving around, but that is one of the worst things they can do. If they want to continue being independent, they have to be mobile and do as much as they can on their own. This will not only help them manage their pain and independence level, it will help them feel in control of their lives and their condition. Another lifestyle area to focus on is diet. This is another thing that won’t directly prevent your loved one from having Parkinson’s, but it will help them feel less shaky and more in control. When your loved one eats too much sugar or caffeine, they may have more uncontrollable shakes, so it may be best to stay away from those two things altogether.

Physical Therapy With a Professional

Your loved one may be moving around as much as possible, but it may not be enough for them. If you think it is necessary, your senior may want to attend physical therapy. In these sessions, your loved one will explore how to do things on their own with their condition. They may start doing something and find that humming works to keep their mind off the shakes, allowing them to do something more easily. Or they may find a different way to do something altogether that prevents the shakes from happening. Physical therapy will help them set goals and work around their challenges which can keep a senior aging in place for much longer. If your loved one needs help getting to appointments, they should ask home care assistance if they can provide non-medical transportation; many will say yes.

Talk About Medication With a Doctor

Many medications on the market can help someone manage their shakiness due to Parkinson’s. Drugs that increase dopamine levels tend to have great results for those who struggle with Parkinson’s because the natural lack of dopamine is what causes the shakes to begin with. However, all of this needs to be discussed with a doctor. These are not drugs you can get from the store; many of them have to be prescribed and managed by a doctor.

If you or an aging loved one are considering Home Care Assistance in Northfork, NY, call the caring staff at Artful Home Care today at (631) 685-5001