Category: Parkinson’s Care

Becoming a caregiver for someone who has Parkinson’s disease can be very stressful. No one wants to see an aging loved one’s health deteriorate over time. Although you want to do everything you can for your loved one, you have to remember to take care of yourself as well. Here are five tips for providing Parkinson’s treatment.

1. Get Everything Organized

When it comes to treating someone with Parkinson’s disease, being organized is crucial, which means keeping your loved one’s medical notes, records, insurance papers, appointment reminders, doctors’ numbers, and medication details close by. You can put all these things into a folder for portability and easy access.

Many seniors in the early stages of Parkinson’s are able to live on their own, but they may need a bit of help with the everyday tasks of life, such as exercising and preparing nutritious meals. Aging adults who require assistance with the tasks of daily living can benefit from reliable in-home care. Families trust Senior Stride Home Care to provide the high-quality care their elderly loved ones need and deserve. Our caregivers are trained to help seniors prevent and manage serious illnesses and encourage them to make healthier decisions as they age.

2. Take Care of Yourself

Self-care is important for caregivers as well. To ensure your loved one is receiving the proper care, you need to be physically and emotionally fit. It’s important to take time off for yourself to de-stress and rest. Caring for other people, especially those with Parkinson’s, can take its toll. No one can do everything, so make sure to ask friends and family members for help. There’s nothing wrong with wanting a little downtime to yourself to relax and recharge your batteries.

3. Study Your Loved One’s Medical Insurance

There’s more to being a Parkinson’s caregiver than simply preparing meals and reminding your loved one to take medicine. Your loved one’s medical responsibilities also become yours. As such, you’ll need to take the time to study your loved one’s medical insurance. Familiarize yourself with how the insurance policy works, what it covers, and how to apply for reimbursements for medical expenses. Furthermore, it’s worth mentioning that you might be entitled to compensation under your loved one’s disability benefits, so make sure to educate yourself on his or her disability coverage as well as your rights as a caregiver.

Living with a serious health condition can make it challenging for seniors to age in place. However, they can maintain a higher quality of life with the help of professional live-in care. Oshkosh seniors can benefit from assistance with meal prep, bathing, transportation to the doctor’s office, medication reminders, and much more.

4. Understand Everything About Parkinson’s Disease

Obviously, you need to know how Parkinson’s disease works and how it affects a person before you can become a caregiver. Remember to stay diligent about keeping up with all the latest updates about the condition. Read about the symptoms caused by Parkinson’s and consult your loved one’s doctor to learn how the condition may progress.

5. Monitor Symptoms and Report Changes

As a caregiver, it’s your responsibility to note and report any changes in your loved one’s symptoms. Since you’ll be spending a great deal of time with your loved one, you’ll probably be the first to notice anything new. Make sure to consult the doctor if you see any variations in your loved one’s symptoms or behavior.

Caring for a loved one with Parkinson’s can be extremely challenging, and a compassionate professional caregiver can be a wonderful source of support. If your elderly loved one is living with a serious medical condition and needs help managing the tasks of daily living, reach out to Senior Stride Home Care, an Oshkosh at-home care agency you can trust. Our caregivers are available 24/7, there are no hidden fees in our contracts, and we offer a 100% satisfaction guarantee on all of our in-home care services. If your loved one needs professional care, Senior Stride Home Care is here to help. Call one of our dedicated Care Managers today at 920-717-1767 to learn about the high quality of our in-home care services.

Parkinson’s disease is a type of central nervous system disorder that makes it difficult for the body to properly control movements. In its earliest stages, the symptoms of Parkinson’s may be very subtle. An early diagnosis may be challenging to achieve, but it allows seniors to get access to a variety of helpful treatment options. To ensure your senior loved one gets the help he or she needs as soon as possible, keep an eye out for these early warning signs of Parkinson’s disease.

1. Handwriting Changes

Fine motor skills are often one of the first types of motion Parkinson’s disease alters. Seniors may not notice it at first because they can still perform daily tasks and don’t experience obvious tremors. However, handwriting may provide one of the earliest signs that something isn’t right. For seniors with Parkinson’s, writing tends to become smaller and look more cramped over time. Compare your loved one’s current writing to his or her previous handwriting to see if there’s a noticeable difference.

2. Chronic Constipation

Parkinson’s disease doesn’t just affect the muscles used to move the arms and legs. It can also impair the nerves and muscles used to manage digestion, so people with Parkinson’s disease often experience chronic constipation. It’s normal for seniors to have some difficulty with bowel movements when they don’t get enough water and fiber, but they may need to get a checkup if they have regular constipation even when they get the right amounts of water and fiber. 

If your loved one has digestive difficulties, he or she may get a great deal of benefit from having a professional caregiver help with planning and preparing healthy meals. Families looking for top-rated Oshkosh home care service providers can reach out to Senior Stride Home Care. From respite care to specialized Alzheimer’s, dementia, stroke, and Parkinson’s care, there are many ways we can make life easier for seniors and their loved ones.

3. Serious Facial Expressions

One of the fairly distinctive symptoms of Parkinson’s disease is called facial masking. Though seniors are still able to move their faces normally, they may no longer instinctively shift their faces to mirror their emotions. Seniors may be told they look sad, mad, or upset because their faces look so blank and serious. This symptom may go away when seniors purposefully try to smile or show specific expressions, but it comes back when they’re not paying attention. 

Seniors in the later stages of Parkinson’s can live at home, but they may need assistance from a family member or other caregiver to do so safely. For many seniors in Oshkosh, live-in care is an essential component of aging in place safely and comfortably. However, it’s important for them to have caregivers they can trust and rely on. At Senior Stride Home Care, we extensively screen all of our live-in and 24-hour caregivers and only hire those who have experience in the senior home care industry. Our strict requirements ensure seniors can remain in the comfort of home with a reduced risk of injury or serious illness.

4. Loss of Smell

Since Parkinson’s disease affects the nerves, it can change the way seniors sense certain things. Many people with Parkinson’s disease start to lose the sense of smell. Though they can still distinguish basic smells, they may have difficulty smelling distinct scents of flavors like licorice or bananas. Smell also affects the sense of taste, so if certain foods no longer taste right, it can also be a sign of Parkinson’s disease.

5. Wild Movements During Sleep

It’s normal for everyone to toss and turn a little bit, but in people with Parkinson’s disease, nighttime movements may become very pronounced. This happens because the body isn’t properly controlling motion once it falls asleep. Seniors may act out their dreams or twitch constantly while asleep.

Early diagnosis is critical because Parkinson’s disease can be particularly challenging in its final stages, and family caregivers can easily get overwhelmed. Caring for a senior loved one can be challenging for families who don’t have expertise or professional training in home care, but this challenge doesn’t have to be faced alone. Family caregivers can turn to Oshkosh Home Care Assistance for the help they need. We provide high-quality live-in and respite care as well as comprehensive Alzheimer’s, dementia, stroke, and Parkinson’s care. For reliable in-home care services, contact us at 920-717-1767 today.

Parkinson’s disease can negatively affect many aspects of a senior’s life, but staying actively engaged can alleviate some of the symptoms associated with the disease. With careful planning, family caregivers can find various activities that are less intrusive and can be performed in moderation. Here are some safe and engaging activities that seniors with Parkinson’s should try. 

1. Crafting 

Crafting is not only fun and safe, but it also provides long-term health benefits. Knitting is one of the best crafting ideas for adults living with Parkinson’s because it increases motor function. Crafting is a mentally stimulating way for seniors to alleviate worry, doubt, and depression. Participating in crafting projects can reduce stress related to Parkinson’s and slow the progression of the disease. 

If your senior loved one needs help managing an illness or assistance with daily tasks, make sure you choose a top-rated home care company. Oshkosh Senior Stride Home Care is here to help your loved one live a happier and healthier life in the golden years. From the mentally stimulating activities in our Cognitive Therapeutics Method to our friendly Care Managers who are available to answer your questions 24 hours a day, we offer a wide array of high-quality at-home care services.

2. Volunteering 

Your loved one can donate his or her time and volunteer with a community organization or local program. Check if there are any organizations nearby that are advocating for Parkinson’s in regards to research, financial assistance for people living with the disease, and educational programs for family caregivers. Seniors living with Parkinson’s may begin to isolate themselves, but volunteering is an engaging activity that can enhance socialization skills and reduce the risk of depression. 

For families living in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, respite care can be a wonderful solution when their aging loved ones need companionship and socialization a few hours a week or just need minor assistance with daily household tasks. At Senior Stride Home Care, we thrive on helping seniors maintain their independence while living in the comfort of home.

3. Writing 

Encourage your loved one to write about his or her experiences in a journal, for an online blog, or in a memoir. The writing should detail how your loved one feels about living with the disease and include different ways Parkinson’s has impacted his or her life. Writing is an engaging activity that can also be therapeutic for seniors living with Parkinson’s. Sharing the literary work could make your loved one feel mentally and emotionally stronger.

4. Dancing

Dancing can increase balance. When your loved one moves to the rhythm of the music, he or she may prevent freezing episodes associated with Parkinson’s. Almost any form of exercise, including dancing, can help seniors with Parkinson’s alleviate symptoms related to gait and flexibility. Dancing is a fun and engaging way to keep the brain active and anxiety levels down. 

5. Painting 

Painting is a creative form of art that provides seniors with an emotional escape from the realities they currently face, and it only requires small movements from those living with Parkinson’s disease. The movements are also controlled, making it easier to enjoy the activity instead of worrying about failure or causing bodily harm. Painting and coloring can help older adults manage tremors and other symptoms associated with Parkinson’s.
When seniors develop Parkinson’s disease, their families are not always able to provide the care they need and deserve. Oshkosh, Wisconsin, Parkinson’s care experts are available around the clock to help seniors maintain a high quality of life while managing the symptoms of Parkinson’s, allowing families to enjoy greater peace of mind. To learn about our Parkinson’s care plans, give Senior Stride Home Care a call at 920-717-1767 today.

Parkinson’s disease is a degenerative brain condition that affects many elderly people worldwide, making it hard for them to communicate or carry out daily tasks without help from Oshkosh, WI, live-in caregivers. This condition is characterized by tremors, difficulty moving, and dementia. These symptoms often prevent seniors with Parkinson’s from being able to communicate with their doctors and receive adequate treatment. Thankfully, researchers have found a way to overcome this problem. The Personal KinetiGraph is a data logger that looks like a small wristwatch and will help doctors provide optimal treatment for seniors with Parkinson’s.

What Does the Device Do?

The Personal KinetiGraph is a small device that can be easily strapped to a patient’s wrist with or without help from a trusted Oshkosh, WI, senior care provider. Every two minutes, it takes a reading that tracks the movements of the wearer. This device can log all of the tremors, shaking, muscle contractions, and twitching that people with Parkinson’s experience on a daily basis. It also has a button that wearers can press to track when they take their PD medications. It can store up to ten days of data at a time and provides a comprehensive look at everything a Parkinson’s patient experiences.

How Can This Treat Parkinson’s?

Often times, doctors have trouble creating a good treatment plan because they do not have adequate information about their patients. This is because seniors with Parkinson’s may have trouble remembering or talking about their symptoms. The researchers who created the Personal KinetiGraph hope that it will help doctors evaluate the effectiveness of medications taken by their patients. It will allow the doctors to notice trends and patterns associated with movements in order to create the right treatment for each individual case of Parkinson’s. Clinical trials have shown that the device is very effective at improving doctor-patient treatments. For example, one doctor found that a patient’s medication was not working even though the patient thought it was, which enabled the doctor to prescribe a better medication.

Give your loved one the chance to manage PD symptoms at home with help from a reliable home care agency like Senior Stride Home Care of Oshkosh. We provide flexible services such as Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, and post-stroke home care in Oshkosh, WI, which enables seniors to safely manage symptoms in the comfort of home. In addition to safety monitoring, our expertly trained caregivers offer medication reminders, transportation to and from appointments, and mobility training. When we help with these and other aspects of home care, it boosts your loved one’s self-esteem and wellbeing. Call us at 920-710-CARE (2273) today to learn more about our comprehensive services and schedule a complimentary consultation over the phone.

When you think of inspiring heroes in the modern world, Muhammad Ali may be the first person to come to mind. Ali spent over 30 years advocating for Parkinson’s disease and helped raise millions of dollars for foundations and organizations dedicated to finding a cure. In doing so, he became an inspiration to those with the disease and their caregivers in Oshkosh.

Growing up in Louisville, KY, he always knew that he would one day make a difference. After turning to boxing as a way to escape the poverty around him, he discovered that he had a talent for the sport. His long line of successes in the ring included an Olympic gold medal and several major trophies and awards. Though he loved his fans, Ali wanted them to view him as just a normal guy.

Though Ali announced his diagnosis in 1984, he spent a little time before that out of the limelight. Unlike other celebrities who lent their names to organizations, Ali originally thought fans might look at him differently after hearing he was sick. It wasn’t until 1984 that he was encouraged by his doctor and his wife to go public. Those around him inspired him to once again become a champion fighter we knew and to show his fans that Parkinson’s was a condition they could help cure.

The odds of developing Parkinson’s are fairly low in most people, but it increases dramatically among those who suffered any type of head injury. Ali’s doctors believed that he developed the condition as a result numerous head injuries sustained during his long boxing career. During his time as a Parkinson’s advocate, Ali dedicated his time and energy to spreading Parkinson’s awareness and helping other athletes stay safe in and out of the ring. His work led to the opening the Muhammad Ali Parkinson Center in Phoenix, AZ, which continues to provide outreach, support, and treatments for those with PD. Between his career and charity work, there is no disputing that he truly was the greatest.

In spite of having Parkinson’s, Muhammad Ali managed to live a full and happy life. He encouraged others with PD to do the same. You can give your loved one the support he or she needs to fight Parkinson’s with help from Oshkosh, WI, Senior Stride Home Care. We provide comprehensive home care for seniors with PD that encourages them to live as independently as possible while boosting overall wellbeing. To schedule a free consultation, call 920-710-CARE (2273) today and speak with a knowledgeable Care Manager.