April 2017 sees Parkinsons Awareness Week. It is believed 127,000 people have Parkinsons in the UK (about 1 in 500) and whilst medication is available to help there is no known cure and it is not fully understood what causes the disease. A persons condition can change by the day, even by the hour. Most people first notice a tremor but not everyone will have this. Many people with the disease have stiff muscles which makes it difficult to do everyday jobs such as fastening buttons and can result in slower movement. A person may also “freeze” this is more so in doorways going from room-to-room. Other symptoms of Parkinsons can include anxiety, sleeping disorders and take longer to think.
The Parkinsons Society was a wealth of information and booklets on their website www.parkinsons.org.uk. Whilst we hear of older people with the disease the website has case studies of people in their early 40’s. A range of drugs are available to help with the condition and how they work are complex. These are often used alongside speech therapy, physio and occupational therapy.
Mark Booker (Owner Independent Living) commented “whilst we hear of a huge amount about people with dementia because the number of cases are large and rising we tend to hear less about Parkinsons disease. Here at Independent Living we specialise in Parkinsons, this started as far back as 2012 when one of our very first customers who needed care had very advanced Parkinsons and was fitted with a pioneering deep brain stimulation device. What many people do not know is that some people who have Parkinsons are more likely to get dementia so to some extent the two can go together”.
Should you require support in relation to Parkinsons please call Amanda or Lilian 01257 696 050.
