Publications
Maintaining Independence in Parkinson's Disease
Topics: family and caregiving
Supplement #9
Paulette Olsen
The activities that you do everyday are very important to maintain your health and independence. In order to preserve independence and activities of daily living, people with Parkinson's disease (PD) should do all that they can for themselves. To be helpful in offering assistance, families can:
-Allow the PWP (People with Parkinson's) to do all the tasks he/she can do for him/herself.
-Offer specific help when asked.
-Realize that PWP's ability to do tasks can vary significantly throughout the day, or from day to day because of the disease and their response to medications.
Activities of daily living include talks such as bathing, grooming, dressing, preparing food, writing, eating, caring for the home, timing/management of medications, communication, mobility-sitting, standing, walking, driving, exercise, and recreational activities/hobbies. PWP often have tremors, rigidity or slowness that may interfere with these activities, but help in adapting is available for most every activity of daily living. Knowing how and where to find the right people to help you stay healthy and happy is essential.
To request multiple copies, simply call us at 877.223.3801 or email us at apda@youngparkinsons.org.