Parkinson’s effects people both physically and mentally. You cannot catch it from someone else and although it can run in families, it is very rare. Most people with Parkinson’s are over 50 years old, but it can affect younger people as well.

Although ‘Alzheimer’s and Dementia’ tend to attract a great deal of publicity Parkinson’s is also a disease which is also rapidly increasing due to an ageing population. This is why the Parkinson’s Society is running events likes ‘Parkinson’s Awareness Week’ in April. Their website supplies a wealth of useful information and fact sheets.

People with Parkinson’s may take medication which will typically help with mobility and control of the tremors. The disease can cause a person to feel ‘down’ or ‘depressed’ because it results in chemical imbalance in the brain. Medication can be prescribed to help a person’s mood. The medication does sometimes have hallucinations as a side effect. Independent Living took a gentleman to Salford Hospital Neurology Unit where he described seeing spiders, and even a little boy!

It is rare, but Independent Living has helped someone who has had a ‘deep brain stimulator’ fitted. This is a micro-chip placed in the brain which helps control the tremors. This type of surgery is pioneering but is still very rare and is not suitable for everyone with Parkinson’s. Whilst the results for the person we looked after were very good, it relied on a rechargeable battery and ensuring the technology worked required a great deal of skill and our carers had to have specialist training from the manufacturer.

Here are 6 positive tips from people with the illness

1. Find out about medications and then you can have a proper discussion with your neurologist.
2. Look at www.parkinsons.org.uk for help, advice and local support groups.
3. Listening to music and other activities such as drawing can lift your mood.
4. Exercise helps and it can be adjusted to match your condition, it does not have to be a long run!
5. Therapy can help – this can include speech and physio.
6. Planning and making lists helps to achieve things and you have to accept achieving them might take a little longer.

Did you know that it is “Parkinson’s Awareness Week” 18th – 24th April? Independent Living provides care for several people with the disease and it is our specialism. No two people with Parkinson’s are the same, and a person’s condition can vary daily. Generally, at Independent Living we find people struggle most in a morning, and ‘get going’ towards lunchtime or the afternoon. We have also found that the disease can affect sleep patterns with some people unable to sleep the whole night, waking up every few hours, and being completely awake in the middle of the night. The result of this is that they sleep in the day and develop an irregular sleep pattern.

Most people know that a person with Parkinson’s will have tremors known as ‘shakes’ and often someone has a particular walking style which they develop to try and correct their balance. More advanced symptoms can also include having difficulty swallowing and ‘dribbling’ as controlling saliva is difficult due to Parkinson’s affecting the relevant muscles.

Parkinson’s disease can also make social situations more difficult because of speech issues it can be hard to communicate with someone, and you may have to be patient or ask them to repeat something. A person’s speech can vary throughout the day. People unaware of Parkinson’s symptoms may unfortunately think a person appears drunk!
Generally speaking, Parkinson’s affects people over the age of 50, but it can be found in younger people. In some cases, someone with the disease can experience related conditions such as memory loss/dementia but this is by no means always the case.

6 Facts About Parkinson’s

1. Parkinson’s affects the brain, and people have a deficit of a chemical in the brain called dopamine.
2. A lack of dopamine can make your body shake, make you move more slowly, cause muscles to be stiff, be painful, and make you feel a bit down.
3. A person’s symptoms can vary day-to-day and even by the hour.
4. Although no cure exists for Parkinson’s medication can help reduce the symptoms and effects.
5. People with Parkinson’s can find life difficult but it does not mean that they cannot continue to leave active and fulfilling lives.
6. More about Parkinson’s and details about Awareness Week can be found at www.parkinsons.org.uk