Staying Home with Parkinson’s Disease
As Parkinson’s disease progresses, it can get harder and harder to continue the therapies that help maintain and preserve function. Learn how using home health for Parkinson’s disease allows you to continue your care plan from the comfort of your home.
Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a chronic and progressive neurodegenerative disease. A person with PD loses the functionality of dopamine producing neurons in the brain responsible for both voluntary movements and autonomic functions, like cognition and mood.
The characteristic symptoms of PD are bradykinesia, muscle rigidity, resting tremor and postural/gait instability. Patients often have a stooped posture and a slow or shuffling gait. PD also affects facial expressions, with most patients being unable to react nonverbally. Patients may also have hallucinations, depression, trouble swallowing and fatigue.
Treatment for PD is twofold. Symptomatic control is achieved through medication. Current medications are designed to supplement the loss of dopamine in the brain. Medication regimens are often complex, requiring multiple medications and dosing times.
The second part of PD treatment revolves around physical and occupational therapy to help maintain and preserve function. Physical therapy helps develop an appropriate exercise program. They also help with gait, balance, stability and transferring techniques. Occupational therapy can help retrain a person to adapt their daily activities to fit their disease.
Most patients will live 20 years or longer with PD. As the disease progresses, so do their needs. Symptoms begin to affect both sides of the body. Patients become more and more unsteady. Activities like eating and dressing become more tedious. Care plans are constantly revisited and modified as symptoms worsen.
Parkinson’s Disease and Active Home Health
As described above, PD is in general a disease that affects movement. As movement become more and more impaired, patients become homebound. It becomes too difficult to get to outpatient therapy appointments.
For those of you in a homebound situation, the good news is that Active Home Health can come to you. Covered 100% by most insurances, some of the ways we can help include:
- Medication and disease education
- Fall risk reduction
- Assistance with daily activities, including meal preparation
- Home safety evaluation and recommendations
- Fine motor training or compensation techniques to help with daily activities
- Recommend adaptive equipment
- Personalized exercise and stretching program
- Balance and strength training
- Transfer and gait training
- Speech and swallowing training
With therapy being an integral part of slowing the progression of PD, Active Home Health can provide these services on an indefinite basis. Our team will continue to communicate with your provider about your progress. You will not have to feel separated or anxious about connecting with your provider or therapist!
Some of the benefits of using Active Home Health to help with Parkinson’s Disease include:
- Reduced hospitalizations
- Managing the disease from home
- Reduced skilled nursing or assisted living stays
- Decreased risk of falls through compensation techniques
- Improved communication with your provider
- Increased adherence to treatment plan
- PD patients stay mobile longer
- Improved patient safety
Why Choose Active Home Health?
Active Home Health offers personalized care plans tailored to you or your loved one’s needs. We know that these care plans will need to be adapted over time. Our team of nurses and therapists will help you maintain and preserve your function for as long as possible. Don’t wait. Call us today and find out for yourself how we can help you stay at home with Parkinson’s Disease.
