Advice From a Parkinson's Wife: 20 Lessons Learned the Hard Way LARGE PRINT by Barbara Sheklin Davis

Author:Barbara Sheklin Davis
Language: eng
Format: azw3
Tags: Health & Fitness, Medical, Caregiving, Diseases & Conditions, MAM, Nervous System (Incl. Brain)
ISBN: 9798201161774
Publisher: Parker Hayden Media
Published: 2022-08-25T21:11:10.391133+00:00

LESSON LEARNED

There are lots of little tricks that make life with Parkinson’s easier, but you have to look and listen hard to find them.

HOW TO COPE

One of the best sources of suggestions are people who are in the same boat; that’s why I wrote this book. But I am astonished at the instantaneous connection I always feel when speaking with another Parkinson’s partner. We share experiences that are unique to each of us but also unique to the disease, and which nobody else can understand if they haven’t been there. Also, there is no need to pussyfoot around problems or use circumlocutions when discussing matters that can cause others discomfort. If you have a professional aide, such as a healthcare worker or nurse, watch how they do things. Their training enables them to move a Parkinson’s patient with greater efficiency, for example, and without hurting themselves. Most are happy to share their expertise with you, if you ask, and it will be very beneficial.

If you can find a good gerontologist in your community, try to schedule an appointment. I found one late in the game, and it was so wonderful to talk to a doctor who completely understood what I was talking about with regard to my husband, who could explain what was usual and normal and who could, while not offering cures or answers, at least help me to better understand—and thus cope with—the myriad manifestations of Parkinson’s disease.

Always try to anticipate what you will need, and be prepared. You may not need to implement right away, but you will be ready when the time comes. The first time my husband started sloping off his chair, I bought Velcro straps to keep him upright. We didn’t need them for many weeks, but when we really needed them, they were in the closet. Interestingly, we had to use them for a while, and then this symptom disappeared. Same was true for a bib, a dish with sloped sides, and bedrails. But at least I had these things on hand and didn’t have to scramble when the need arose for their use.

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