Living with Parkinson's Disease and How Right at Home Bishop's Stortford and Braintree Can Help
Published: 11/04/2024
What is Parkinson's Disease?
Parkinson’s disease is a progressive neurological condition. This means it causes problems in the brain and gets worse over time. Eventually, the brain will be unable to manage some activities, such as how the body moves, making it difficult to move around and may cause tremors, stiffness, trouble with balance and coordination, and a combination of denial and confusion.
Parkinson’s is the fastest growing neurological condition in the world, and there is currently no cure. According to the NHS, in the UK, around 1 in 37 will be diagnosed with Parkinson’s during their lifetime, with around 153,000 people currently affected.
Early Signs and Symptoms of Parkinson's Disease
There are three main symptoms of Parkinson’s disease, which include:
- Slowness of movement (bradykinesia) – Physical actions are much slower than usual, making everyday activities harder, which results in a slow, shuffling walk with small steps
- Tremor – shaking, which often starts in the hand or arm and usually happens when the limb is at rest and relaxed
- Muscle stiffness (rigidity) – the stiffness and tension in the muscles, making it hard to move and make facial expression, and can lead to painful muscle cramps (dystonia).
Parkinson’s disease can also bring various other mental and physical symptoms. To see the complete list, please visit: Here
Is There a Cure for Parkinson's Disease?
Currently, there is no known cure for Parkinson’s disease. However, there are treatments that can help manage the symptoms of the condition and improve the quality of life with those living with it. These treatments include medications, physical, speech and occupational therapy, and deep brain stimulation (DBS) to control specific brain activity. Likewise, there are several other ways to improve one’s quality of life, including a healthy and balanced diet and regular physical exercise.
How Right at Home Bishop's Stortford and Braintree Can Help
Here at Right at Home Bishop’s Stortford and Braintree, we understand that caring for a family member living with Parkinson’s disease can be challenging.
Lots of people living with Parkinson’s continuing to live normal lives, but we can help to make it as manageable as possible by providing dedicated and compassionate care for individuals with Parkinson’s, helping them to maintain their independence and live comfortably within the comfort of their own home. We offer a range of services, which include:
- Personalised Care Plans: We assess every Client to understand their needs and we like to learn as much about them as possible. We then match CareGivers to Clients based on expertise, interests and personality and every care plan will have a recommended plan to help Clients achieve their goals. This plan is shared with family and friends
- Companionship: We support our Clients to continue enjoying their hobbies and interests by taking them to their favourite places, be it the local park or a coffee shop. We assist in activities that may have become more difficult than they previously were
- Emotional Support: Supporting Clients coming to terms with a diagnosis and understanding and managing the effects on their independence
- Home Support: Light household tasks such as vacuuming, shopping, dusting, food preparation and changing bedding
- Personal Care: We assist with washing, dressing, eating, and toileting when symptoms are worse and affect these abilities
- Medication Assistance: Many people living with Parkinson’s struggle to find the correct medication dosages and need help from their GP. Right at Home Bishop’s Stortford and Stevenage can assist with GP appointments, collecting medication from the pharmacy and even prompting to take or administer medication
Contact Us
Our CareGivers know the special challenges of Parkinson's, but with treatment progress, many can lead normal lives. While there's no cure, at Right at Home Bishop's Stortford and Braintree, we know that support for someone living with Parkinson’s is vital and can help them live their best possible life.
Call 01371 704790 to talk to our experts and discover how we can help at Right at Home in Bishop's Stortford and Braintree.
