Parkinsons Care At Home In Richmond Hill On
Caring for a loved one with Parkinsons involves thoughtful consideration of a great many factors. When all of the pertinent elements are considered together, the overall set of responsibilities can culminate to an overwhelming set of tasks. From support with housekeeping and personal hygiene to the arranging and management of medical appointments and medications, it is understandable that many people begin to feel overwhelmed by such an immense undertaking.
Certified caregivers can help families to find a sense of calm, by ensuring that loved ones are getting professional, compassionate care from dedicated people. Affinity Health is a trusted member of the medical community, and is committed to ensuring familiarity and continuity, even in the most advanced stages of the disease.
Is A Care Facility Needed
People with advancing Parkinsons require safe and effective care, all the time. The day may come when you are no longer able to provide this type of care for your loved one at home. If this day comes, you should consider a transition to a care facility.
There are certainly benefits to keeping the person with Parkinsons at home. The environment is familiar to your loved one, and you wont have to travel to see him or her. Despite the challenges of caregiving, the relationship between you and the person with Parkinsons often becomes stronger over time. There can also be considerable savings in healthcare costs.
On the other hand, as your loved ones disease progresses and needs become more extreme, keeping the person at home can seem like a battle of your survival versus his or hers.
Serve Them A Healthy Diet
Constipation is a common side effect of Parkinsons, so its important to feed them a fiber-rich diet to encourage bowel movements. Their diet should also include a lot of calcium to fend off osteoporosis and keep their bones strong. If they have difficulty swallowing due to loss of motor function, fix them soft, moist food or shakes that are more easily swallowed. If they find it exhausting to eat a large meal, serve smaller meals more often. Note that the common Parkinsons drug Levodopa is best taken on an empty stomach, so you need to schedule it to be taken around their meals.
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Healthcare Power Of Attorney
A healthcare power of attorney allows an individual to appoint an agent to make healthcare decisions on their behalf if they should become incapacitated and unable to communicate their wishes.
This would include decisions about lifesaving measures such as resuscitation as well as administration of nutrition through an intravenous or feeding tube if the individual becomes unable to eat.
This document also gives the agent the ability to make decisions about providing care staff with do-not-resuscitate instructions for the person with Parkinsons disease as part of the persons end-of-life wishes.
It is important to note that a power of attorney for health care does not allow an agent to make decisions for an individual until they are no longer able to do so for themselves. Therefore, a person with Parkinsons disease remains in control of their healthcare decisions as long as they have the .
As noted above, all POA documents including the healthcare for power of attorney should be written as durable so these documents remain effective even if the principal becomes incapacitated.
Financial Options When Your Parent Has Parkinsons Disease
Whether your parent remains at home or moves into a nursing home, any care option you choose is going to be expensive. Out-of-pocket costs can become financially devastating, as care associated with Parkinsons disease can easily reach thousands of dollars per month and hundreds of thousands per year. To protect your parent and yourself, you need to consider all the available options, such as:
- Grants and financial assistance from various Parkinsons foundations and funds
- Your parents health insurance plan
- Medicaid coverage
- Veterans benefits if your parent served in the military
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Care Planning When You Have Parkinson’s
“Some days are better than others, but on the bad days it would be lovely to have some help, even if it was just to make me a cup of tea.”
Thinking about future care options is a common concern. Mary has Parkinsons and lives alone in retirement housing near Exeter since her husband died 2 years ago. At 87, she has recently been considering her future care arrangements.
Is A Skilled Nursing Facility Right For You Or Your Loved One
Long-term care in a skilled nursing facility provides 24-hour assistance with advanced care needs. Staff assists with daily living activities and medication management. They also provide opportunities for social interactions and participating in recreational and wellness programs. Meals are offered in a group dining setting and housekeeping and laundry services are also included.
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How To Help Someone With Parkinsons Stay Mobile
A very common symptom of Parkinsons is freezing. This happens when a person is walking or moving and suddenly experiences extreme rigidity and an almost complete loss of movement as if their feet are glued to the floor. When this happens, prompting can help your loved one become unstuck. Ask them to pretend that they are stepping over an imaginary line or object on the floor, or even encourage them to rock very slowly and gently from side to side to help them get moving again. If freezing is a common occurrence for your loved one, consider purchasing a specialty mobility device like a walker or rollator that is equipped with a laser pointer. When freezing occurs, they can simply press a button to project a laser line on the floor and use it as a visual cue to help them continue moving.
Massage therapy for Parkinsons patients can alleviate stress and relieve spasms, tremors, rigidity and muscle cramps. Heating pads also soothe aching muscles, and menthol pain relieving gel does wonders for stiff joints, but never use both together.
Exercising can be difficult at first but very beneficial for those living with PD. Encourage your loved one to do hand exercises like squeezing a rubber ball for short periods of time throughout the day to help reduce tremors and to keep hands and fingers strong and flexible. Even short daily walks and a mild fitness routine can keep muscles, tendons and joints strong for as long as possible.
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Physical activity can be beneficial in helping to maintain mobility and improve your parents quality of life. A regular program of exercise or participation in classes that are specifically designed for participants with Parkinsons, such as tai chi, can be beneficial on both a physical and social level.
We help make returning home possible
My father would never have been able to return to his own home if it hadnt been for Eldercare Home Health. They helped organize his discharge and worked with his Doctor and his pharmacist to sort out his medications. And, of course, theyve been providing excellent in-home care.
~ Ms. Brenda Gross, Clients daughter
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Department Of Veterans Affairs
Through the VA Health Care program and their pensions, the VA offers veterans multiple avenues of assistance with medical equipment, assistive technology and home modification. The avenue best pursued depends on whether or not the individual with Parkinsons Disease was exposed to herbicides during their military service. For those individuals not exposed, they are most likely to receive assistance from the Aid and Attendance pension benefit, VD-HCBS or the HISA Grant. For those veterans with PD who were exposed, VA Health Care will cover the cost of much assistive technology and medical equipment.Another option for veterans comes not from the VA but from a non-profit organization with a veteran-specific program called Heroes at Home. This program is intended to assist in making home modifications and typically provides free labor for modifications but does not cover the cost of materials.
Help Them Engage In Activities
Just because your loved one has received a Parkinsons diagnosis doesnt mean that they need to cease all activity immediately. In fact, many people with Parkinsons can still participate in their beloved hobbies, with or without modifications, in the early stages of the disease. You should also encourage them to participate in stress-relieving activities, whether that is meditation, guided breathing or another relaxing practice. In fact, you might find it helpful to join them and get some stress relief yourself.
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Treatment Of Parkinsons Disease
Currently, Parkinsons disease has no cure. However, treatments are extremely helpful in managing its signs and symptoms.
Difficulties With Activities Of Daily Living
ADLs refer to basic personal care tasks including bathing, dressing, eating, mobilizing, and toileting.
Individuals with Parkinson’s disease may have problems with mobilizing, freezing in place, bathing, grooming, toileting, dressing, eating, driving, travelling, as well as safety at home. A person has more difficulty performing these ADLs as the disease progresses due to increased muscle and cognitive impairment.
It can be hard to for individuals to adjust to these changes but there are ways to provide support and to promote as much independence and quality of life as possible.
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Parkinsons Specialized Home Care
Our Washington, D.C. and Maryland in-home caregiving services include everything from medication administration by LPNs and RNs to assisting with stretching and household duties by experienced Certified Nursing Assistants . Our goal is to make clients as comfortable as possible and to help make the most of each day for those living with Parkinsons and their loved ones.
Learn more about Family & Nursing Care by reading our
Burden And Demographic Disparities Of Ltnf In Pd
We identified 469,055 Medicare beneficiaries aged 65 years and older who had a diagnosis of PD recorded in the year 2002. Twenty-four percent had claims consistent with residence in an LTCF. Compared with community-dwelling patients with PD, LTCF residents with PD were older and more often female . These sex and age differences are similar to those found in the general LTCF population, which consists mostly of women and individuals aged 75 years and older .,
Studies have also reported that minorities are underrepresented in the general nursing home population, with black persons having 25% to 50% lower LTCF utilization rates than white persons., We found that African Americans with a PD diagnosis were relatively overrepresented in the LTCF population . Hispanic individuals were more common in the community PD population .
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Advice For Nursing Care
People with Parkinsons have specific needs and care requirements. Most important is that they receive their medication on time, every time. Nurses should also be aware of the on/off nature of the condition.
Some patients say they are on when their drugs are working and symptoms are mostly under control. If they go off, their symptoms are not under control and it becomes harder for them to move some may stop moving altogether. Patients might change from on to off very quickly, like a switch.
The way in which Parkinsons affects patients can vary from hour to hour and day to day, and it also varies widely between individual patients. The amount of help and support they need also varies. Nurses should therefore listen to patients and their families about how the condition affects them.
It is important to ensure that patients have access to a varied and balanced diet nurses should take account of any swallowing or movement problems that could lead to malnutrition. It is also important to remember to give patients time to answer when talking to them. It may take them time to respond, but this does not mean they are not listening or do not understand.
Impulsive And Compulsive Behaviour
Some patients who take dopamine agonists can experience problems controlling impulsive or compulsive behaviour .
Impulsive behaviour refers to the inability of patients to resist carrying out certain activities, some of these activities could be harmful to themselves or others. In many cases, this behaviour is out of character.
Compulsive behaviour refers to an overwhelming urge to act in a certain way to reduce the worry or tension this urge produces. This behaviour can be expressed in a number of ways, including addictive gambling, impulsive shopping, binge eating and hypersexuality.
Nurses who suspect a patient might be experiencing compulsive or impulsive behaviour should discuss the issue with the patient and the patients neurologist or GP as soon as possible.
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Questions To Ask A Skilled Nursing Living Facility
Refer to the questions on the following pages for guidance. Try to make a second, unannounced visit in the evening or on a weekend. You may learn additional information that adds to your overall opinion of the facility. If you have specific questions about this process, contact our Helpline at 1-800-4PD-INFO .
*Please note that not all content is available in both languages. If you are interested in receiving Spanish communications, we recommend selecting both” to stay best informed on the Foundation’s work and the latest in PD news.
How Do I Know If Home Care Is Possible
The following factors must be considered when determining whether home care will work for you and your loved one:
- The designated caregiver should have few other responsibilities not related to the care recipient .*
- The house must be large enough to comfortably accommodate the needs of the person with Parkinsons, including space for a lift chair, walker, wheelchair, bedside commode or other medical equipment required. Take a home safety tour to ensure your home is easily accessible.
- All rooms should be on one level. The home environment must be safe and supportive of maximum independence. Necessary structural changes, such as ramps, handrails, bathroom alterations, etc. have been made.
- Arrangements can be made to provide medications to the person with PD at required times, as well as meals, assistance with personal care, housekeeping, transportation and companionship.
*If the designated caregiver is someone you hire to provide around-the-clock care, consider the impact of someone else living in your home. Even though you are not responsible for daily cares, having another person in your house might cause stress and make it difficult to relax.
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Focus On Life Outside Parkinsons
Its easy to let Parkinsons overtake your life together, especially as the disease progresses. Try to focus on the good moments and remember that you both have a life after Parkinsons. Discuss other topics with your family and friends and try to participate in fun experiences as much as you can. Take trips while you are still able to do so together and check items off their bucket list when possible. You wont regret having these happy memories to treasure later on.
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Registered Nurse Case Managed Psw Care Makes The Difference
At Eldercare Home Health weve been providing care for clients with Parkinsons since 1995.
A real, Ontario Registered, Registered Nurse will assess your parent at no charge.
We will assign a Registered Nurse Case Manager to the care of your parent .
We understand Parkinsons medications and the side effects. We will liaise with your parents doctor, pharmacist and other members of the healthcare team on a professional level. Well also advocate for your parent.
Eldercare Home Health is plugged in to the various resources for clients with Parkinsons in Toronto, and we are well acquainted with many of the top Parkinsons specialists in Toronto.
We understand the issues that your parent with Parkinsons deals with every day. And we know that you may be worried about falls and safety. Our goal is to provide the care your parent needs and the peace of mind that you need.
Contact us today to learn more about how we can help.
Eldercare Home Health was the Official Sponsor of the Parkinson Society Central & Northern Ontario branch Spring/Summer 2012 Speaker events. See: Love, Intimacy & Parkinsons and Drug Therapy for Parkinsons Disease.
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Why Choose Assisted Living That Offers Specialized Parkinsons Care
As previously mentioned, it is crucial that a retiree with Parkinsons disease retire into an assisted living community specializing in taking care of the patients with Parkinsons. These communities typically include medication monitoring, meals, personal care assistance, 24-hour emergency care, laundry, housekeeping and recreational activities that can benefit older adults who have Parkinsons disease. In addition to this, key reasons to choose senior living facilities that specialize in treating Parkinsons patients include:
Selecting Healthcare Professionals For Parkinsons Disease
Because of the complexity of Parkinson’s disease and the wide range of effects that the disease has on a persons physical, emotional, and cognitive functioning, a number of healthcare professionals are usually required to help manage the disease effectively. Healthcare professionals who may be able to help an individual adapt and cope with Parkinson’s disease include:
- Primary care physician or nurse practitioner
- Physical therapist
- Neurologist
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