Hi All,
My mother was diagnosed 7 years ago with Parkinsons. I have always looked out for her and been on one or two dr visits, but she has been largely independent, and still is at this stage.
However her PD seems to be getting worse quickly with a lot of people in our community starting to notice her physical changes.
I am a mother of 3 - 10yr old, 9 yr old and 8 yr old, plus I run my own consulting business so I am quite busy. Luckily my brother has some money and he will bear the financial burden but I live closer and our lives are more entwined.
I'm just wondering if anyone else has experience caring for a parent with PD of this age (she is still quite young). I guess I'm trying to get a better idea of what I should be doing to get better prepared to help her (I'm going to the next dr visit). What should I expect over the next 5 years? How do I know when she's too sick to live alone or when she should stop driving?
We were planning to relocate our family back to the US soon but now I'm starting to worry she is declining to quickly and will need help.
Hi beckaleo, I don't think that leaving her alone would be a good decision. She has Parkinsons and it's necessary to take care of her. As you are busy and your mom wants to live an independent life, it would be better considering a senior care service for the independent living people ( http://www.prestigecare.com/independent.php ). All the best!
Hi, beckeloo.
I think my experiences might be useful. I'm not a new caregiver, just a new poster. My guy with Parkinson's I've lived with from 'still driving' to frequently non-verbal. How old is your Mom? The old man is 70 and Ive been with him six years. I guess if you're actually soliciting advice, Patience is the biggest ingredient, the more your Mom wants to be independant, the more you'll need. I'd also recommend a spot of occupational therapy and getting used to aids like weighted utensils and writing devices, etc.
To introduce myself, I fell into caregiving. I've done it for an agency, but here it's gone from roommate to live in 24-7 care. It just evolved that way.