Caring for Someone With Parkinson's Disease: What to Know

Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsSymptomsHow to HelpWhat to Avoid As a CaregiverHow to Talk to a Loved OneTips as a CaregiverTakeawaysFrequently Asked Questions

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

Symptoms

How to Help

What to Avoid As a Caregiver

How to Talk to a Loved One

Tips as a Caregiver

Takeaways

Frequently Asked Questions

Close

Does a loved one in your life have Parkinson’s disease? You’re not alone. Over 10 million people around the world are living with this condition.Parkinson’s diseaseis a neurological movement disorder that inhibits the brain’s ability to control movement.

Unfortunately, Parkinson’s disease is a progressive condition that has no cure.However, it can be managed withtreatment, often for a significant amount of time. Over time, a person with Parkinson’s disease may become increasingly dependent on their caregivers.

At a GlanceWatching a loved one live with Parkinson’s can be painful, but there are ways to help them. Learning what to do and what to avoid can help you support your loved one while maintaining your own well-being. If someone you love is showing signs of Parkinson’s (like tremors, jerky movements, problems with balance, and muscle cramps), it’s important to encourage them to seek a diagnosis and medical care. Other ways to help include keeping the home safe and providing emotional support. Make sure that you’re also taking care of yourself, including leaning on support groups and giving yourself time to process your emotions.

At a Glance

Watching a loved one live with Parkinson’s can be painful, but there are ways to help them. Learning what to do and what to avoid can help you support your loved one while maintaining your own well-being. If someone you love is showing signs of Parkinson’s (like tremors, jerky movements, problems with balance, and muscle cramps), it’s important to encourage them to seek a diagnosis and medical care. Other ways to help include keeping the home safe and providing emotional support. Make sure that you’re also taking care of yourself, including leaning on support groups and giving yourself time to process your emotions.

Recognize Parkinson’s Disease Symptoms in a Loved One

Close friends and family members are often the first to notice thesymptoms of Parkinson’s disease. However, these changes are easily confused with the typical signs of aging, particularly in the early stages.

The symptoms of Parkinson’s disease include:

Causes and Risk Factors of Alzheimer’s Disease

How You Can Help Someone With Parkinson’s Disease

After your loved one has been diagnosed, you might wonder what you can do to help and support them. Learning how to be a caretaker can be a big transition, but there are things you can do to ensure that you are offering the right kind of help. These are some ways you can assist someone with Parkinson’s disease.

Medical Care

Parkinson’s disease can be treated with medication and surgery. It can be helpful for aloved oneto:

Over time, the person may developdementia, making it difficult for them to participate in their medical care. A trusted family member or caregiver may have to take over and make decisions about their medical care.

Practical Care

People with Parkinson’s disease can have trouble walking and maintaining their balance, which can make them more prone to falling.If you live with someone who has Parkinson’s disease, these are some steps you can take to prevent them from falling and injuring themselves:

Parkinson’s disease can also make everyday activities harder. These are some strategies that can be helpful:

As Parkinson’s disease progresses, the person’s motor functions may decline, and they may need assistance with bathing, dressing, and other personal hygiene tasks.

Emotional Care

Your loved one will need a lot of emotional support to come to terms with theirdiagnosisand cope with the changes the condition brings. They may experience a range of emotions, including denial, shock, disbelief, fear, sorrow, anger, and frustration.

These are some strategies that can help you be a source of emotional support for your loved one:

How Social Support Contributes to Psychological Health

What to Avoid As a Caregiver for Parkinson’s Disease

These are some things to avoid while caring for someone with Parkinson’s disease:

7 Stress-Management Tips for Caregivers

How to Talk to a Loved One About Parkinson’s Disease

These are some strategies that can be helpful while talking to a loved one about Parkinson’s disease:

How to Develop Empathy in Relationships

Tips for Yourself as a Caregiver

While caring for someone with Parkinson’s disease, it’s also important to care for yourself. These are some tips that can be helpful:

10 Easy Self-Care Strategies to Help You Manage Stress

If a loved one has been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, you probably have a lot of emotions to process and a lot of questions about the progression of the condition and your role in it.

Learning about the condition can help you understand it and prepare yourself for the road ahead. Throughout the process, remember to be kind to yourself and seek help and support when you need it.

Coping With Late-Onset Alzheimer’s Disease

Frequently Asked QuestionsYour loved one may or may not have all these symptoms; everyone experiences the condition differently. The intensity of the symptoms, as well as the order in which they are experienced can vary from person to person.Generally speaking, this is the outlook for people with Parkinson’s disease,although your loved one’s healthcare provider will be able to share more specific information on their condition and prognosis:There is no cure for Parkinson’s disease yet, but research is underway.The condition can be managed with medication andother forms of treatment, often quite successfully. People with Parkinson’s disease have almost the same life expectancy as those who don’t have the condition.The symptoms of Parkinson’s disease can worsen with time and compromise the person’s independence. Some people may experience severe disability; however, most people only experience mild to moderate disability.Parkinson’s disease does not cause people to die; however, it can strain the body considerably and make the person vulnerable to other infections that can be fatal.These are some organizations that can offer support and resources:American Parkinson’s Disease AssociationMichael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s ResearchParkinson’s FoundationParkinson’s Resource Organization

Your loved one may or may not have all these symptoms; everyone experiences the condition differently. The intensity of the symptoms, as well as the order in which they are experienced can vary from person to person.

Generally speaking, this is the outlook for people with Parkinson’s disease,although your loved one’s healthcare provider will be able to share more specific information on their condition and prognosis:There is no cure for Parkinson’s disease yet, but research is underway.The condition can be managed with medication andother forms of treatment, often quite successfully. People with Parkinson’s disease have almost the same life expectancy as those who don’t have the condition.The symptoms of Parkinson’s disease can worsen with time and compromise the person’s independence. Some people may experience severe disability; however, most people only experience mild to moderate disability.Parkinson’s disease does not cause people to die; however, it can strain the body considerably and make the person vulnerable to other infections that can be fatal.

Generally speaking, this is the outlook for people with Parkinson’s disease,although your loved one’s healthcare provider will be able to share more specific information on their condition and prognosis:

These are some organizations that can offer support and resources:American Parkinson’s Disease AssociationMichael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s ResearchParkinson’s FoundationParkinson’s Resource Organization

These are some organizations that can offer support and resources:

The Different Types of Social Support

8 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Parkinson’s Foundation.Statistics.National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.Parkinson’s disease.National Institute on Aging.Parkinson’s disease.National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.Parkinson’s disease: hope through research.Pelicioni PHS, Menant JC, Latt MD, Lord SR.Falls in Parkinson’s disease subtypes: Risk factors, locations and circumstances.Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2019;16(12):2216. doi:10.3390/ijerph16122216Parkinson’s Foundation.Dealing with dementia.Parkinson’s Foundation.How to cope with Parkinson’s as a caregiver.National Health Service.Parkinson’s disease.

8 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Parkinson’s Foundation.Statistics.National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.Parkinson’s disease.National Institute on Aging.Parkinson’s disease.National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.Parkinson’s disease: hope through research.Pelicioni PHS, Menant JC, Latt MD, Lord SR.Falls in Parkinson’s disease subtypes: Risk factors, locations and circumstances.Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2019;16(12):2216. doi:10.3390/ijerph16122216Parkinson’s Foundation.Dealing with dementia.Parkinson’s Foundation.How to cope with Parkinson’s as a caregiver.National Health Service.Parkinson’s disease.

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Parkinson’s Foundation.Statistics.National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.Parkinson’s disease.National Institute on Aging.Parkinson’s disease.National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.Parkinson’s disease: hope through research.Pelicioni PHS, Menant JC, Latt MD, Lord SR.Falls in Parkinson’s disease subtypes: Risk factors, locations and circumstances.Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2019;16(12):2216. doi:10.3390/ijerph16122216Parkinson’s Foundation.Dealing with dementia.Parkinson’s Foundation.How to cope with Parkinson’s as a caregiver.National Health Service.Parkinson’s disease.

Parkinson’s Foundation.Statistics.

National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.Parkinson’s disease.

National Institute on Aging.Parkinson’s disease.

National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.Parkinson’s disease: hope through research.

Pelicioni PHS, Menant JC, Latt MD, Lord SR.Falls in Parkinson’s disease subtypes: Risk factors, locations and circumstances.Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2019;16(12):2216. doi:10.3390/ijerph16122216

Parkinson’s Foundation.Dealing with dementia.

Parkinson’s Foundation.How to cope with Parkinson’s as a caregiver.

National Health Service.Parkinson’s disease.

Meet Our Review Board

Share Feedback

Was this page helpful?Thanks for your feedback!What is your feedback?HelpfulReport an ErrorOtherSubmit

Was this page helpful?

Thanks for your feedback!

What is your feedback?HelpfulReport an ErrorOtherSubmit

What is your feedback?