Caregiving for Parkinson’s Disease Patients
Caregiving has a much deeper meaning that most people understand. It is the emotional, physical and financial support that you provide for a person who is dependent on you or can’t take care of themselves anymore due to several circumstances. Caregiving is very common when it comes to elderly people. However, there are many diseases, such as the Parkinson’s disease which leaves a person unable to take care of routine matters and require caregiving.
Early Stage Caregiving
Parkinson’s disease is a progressive disease thus the early stage is when the person has just been diagnosed. The first step is to teach yourself as much about PD as you can. Consult doctors and other PD patients to know what could be expected in the future and how you can prepare the patients and yourself for it. Also, consult other caregivers to learn from their experience.
Mid-stage Caregiving
Prepare yourself for changes that will start showing themselves gradually. Patients of Parkinson’s disease (PD) can show an inconsistent response to medicines and there are also mental side effects of the disease. Patients will show signs of sadness and depressive moods. Keep track of such changes so that you can help patients accordingly. The caregiver must also consider some safety measures around the place that the PD patient spends time at. They have an increased risk of falls, mobility issues and might also suffer from confusion. Stay prepared to deal with any sudden incident.
Late Stage Caregiving
PD does not usually affect lifespan meaning that most of the patients have a normal lifespan. Therefore, caregivers for PD patients need to be active for a long a time. The challenges can become quite difficult to deal with as the disease progresses. In the later stage, it is important to keep the patient happy and help them live an easier life. don’t leave them without support or make them feel uncared for.
Managing Caregiver Fatigue
Caregivers are leading a dual life. they not only have to manage their own lives but are responsible for the patient as well. this requires that the caregiver must stay healthy because another person is dependent on them. it is important to keep your diet proper and to avoid getting too stressed. The moods of a caregiver can affect that of the patient. It is also a good choice to have someone else present as well who can continue the caregiving in case of an emergency. Life is uncertain for everyone and there must be someone present who can carry forward the caregiving when the original caregiver is not present.
Caregiving can be exhausting but it is also a rewarding job. It is an experience of life that makes you learn a lot, give you a different and kinder perspective, and develop a closer bond with the person you are providing care for. Proper and dedicated caregiving can greatly improve the quality of life for PD patients. Having an incurable disease that makes you almost disable can produce loss of confidence. Your kindness can make a difference.
