In home health care for Parkinson's

In home health care can improve a clients quality of life.

Dec. 9, 2015

According to statistics, Parkinson’s disease affects more than a million people in the United States. Symptoms often appear after the age of 40 but some people are affected younger, most famously the actor Michael J. Fox. Around one percent of seniors over the age of 60 have Parkinson’s.

Parkinson’s, which currently has no cure, is caused when the brain stops producing sufficient dopamine. The lack of this chemical interferes with the body’s ability to control movement and gets progressively worse over time, although some recent treatments do show some promise.

Initial symptoms of Parkinson’s include shaking or tremors of a limb at rest, slow movement (bradykinesia), problems with balance and falling, and stiffness in the arms, legs or trunk. Secondary symptoms as Parkinson’s progresses include such things as dragging the foot on the affected side, freezing in place when walking, loss of facial expression, decreased automatic reflexes like blinking and swallowing, and a tendency to fall backwards.

When adults with Parkinson’s, particularly seniors, experience more severe difficulty with their mobility and a greater tendency to fall it may be wise to have Comfort Keepers home caregivers of Northern MI offer additional support to foster independence and offer respite to family members who have been providing primary care.

Many times the senior or adult with Parkinson’s feels happier at the thought of continuing to live at home, but needs some help with basic care. .

Comfort Keepers home care Northern MI services include:

Meal preparation

Assisting with personal care

Light housekeeping

Providing transportation

Medication management

Companionship

Respite care

Even if the home requires changes to accommodate devices such as lift chairs, bedside toilet or a wheelchair or safety devices such as handrails, these modifications are usually less expensive than moving to assisted living or nursing facilities. Although the biggest benefit is not the financial savings your family member or loved one can remain in their own home, keeping independence and having the ability to be active with the help of in home care. Families are often very pleased by the positive impact the companionship that home care can have on a client.

Hiring home care Northern MI through Comfort Keepers can help when family members need to work or be away from home, if the primary caregiver needs a break, or if the senior or family members want help with personal care.

http://www.examiner.com/article/in-home-health-care-for-parkinson-s