Caregiving Tips for Parkinson's Disease

People with Parkinson's are at high risk of falling due to problems with balance, rigidity, and slowness of movement. Here we bring key safety strategies to reduce incidence of falls that can cause bumps, bruises or even broken bones. Some people with Parkinson’s find their pattern of walking (gait) changes; you may walk more slowly, shuffle, or you may experience freezing of gait when you stop and are unable to move for a few seconds or minutes. These changes in walking pattern can affect your…

World Parkinson's Day #UniteforParkinsons 11th April 2017 marks 200 years since the publication of James Parkinson's essay on Parkinson's Disease. To mark this day, we are asking everyone, no matter where they are around the world, to unite and raise awareness about Parkinson’s on a bigger scale than ever before. We share these inspiring quotes by people with Parkinson's - Ludovina Filomena Dantas, Gargi Ahluwalia, J.P Mehta. Spread the word, share your stories, Unite for Parkinsons …

WORLD PARKINSON'S DAY It is 200 years since Parkinson's disease was first identified. Here are some inspiring thoughts from our friends at Humans of Parkinson's. We're joining in the conversation and uniting for Parkinson's, because 200 years is too long. People with Parkinson's share their experiences, what empowers them and what keeps them going.     If you have an experience to share, please leave us a comment below. #UniteforParkinsons #MyExperienceMatters    …

There are a lot of things you can do especially in the early to middle stages to manage and delay the progression of dementia. Read on to find out more: Staying Active Finding activities that the person with AD can do and is interested in can be a challenge. Building on current skills generally works better than trying to teach something new.  Don't expect too much. Simple activities are best, especially when they use current abilities. Help the person get started on an activity. Break…

Sometimes the Daily activties like Bathing, Dressing and Eating can be a huge challenge for caregivers looking after a person with dementia. Here are a few useful tips. Let us know which one you find helpful. Tips for Bathing For some people bath time can be a frightening, confusing experience.  Plan the bath or shower for the time of day when the person is most calm and agreeable. Be consistent. Try to develop a routine. Tell the person what you are going to do, step by step, and allow…

The world of medicine is beginning to increasingly acknowledge the potential of expressive arts therapies such as art, music, drama, dance/movement, poetry/creative writing and play in the context of healing, treatment, psychotherapy, counselling and rehabilitation. Activities such as drawing, drumming, creative movement and play acting allow individuals of all ages to express deep-seated thoughts and feelings, improve physical, mental and emotional well-being and boost self-esteem and…

Communicating with a person with dementia can be quite a challenge. There are some tips that can definitely help get the attention of the person and not agitate them. Here are some Dos and Don'ts. DO's DON'Ts Approach from the front, make eye contact and introduce yourself if necessary Don’t wave hand while talking as person’s attention could be distracted Speak slowly, calmly and use a friendly facial expression Don’t talk too fast or shout. Shouting out could have negative effect…

Tips for Caregivers Dementia is a general term for decline in a person's mental ability that is severe enough to interfere with his/her daily life. It may involvememory loss, difficulties with thinking, problem-solving or language. Dementia is progressive, which means the symptoms will gradually get worse. Even though most cases of dementia come from irreversible causes, there is still much that families can do to help their loved ones continue to function as well as possible for as…

Vonita Singh from Dubai is a trained Kathak dancer who, through her unique initiative Movement Mantra, addresses the basic concerns of Parkinson’s Disease like balance, flexibility and coordination with rhythm and music. Vonita also pulls in caregivers for her programmes, making it holistic, with end results being therapeutic. Taking on disorders like Parkinson’s Disease and Arthritis is a formidable task, especially when you are neither a therapist nor a medical person. What gave you the…

Dr S M Akerkar, Consulting Rheumatologist, offers some useful tips for people with arthritis to get work done at home the easier way and to minimize the load on the joints. This is the second of the 2-part series. In the first part we read useful day to day tips on arranging the kitchen to make it easier for people with arthritis to continue to function.  How to arrange your kitchen if you have arthritis? Use shelves with 'easy to remove' features. Drawers mounted on rollers put less…