Home care for Parkinson's: Is it an option for your loved one?

In home care for Parkinson’s can make disease management easier on the whole family, as well as on the person who has the condition. Staying in familiar surroundings has the potential to create a great deal of difference in a person’s mood – and provided certain criteria are met, home care may well be the best option for your loved one or family member.

When determining whether to pursue Parkinson’s care in the home, you should evaluate whether the home itself is an appropriate environment. It should be on one level and accessible to wheelchairs – as your loved one may need to use one in the future even if he or she does not now – and must also be accessible to the greatest possible extent. This means rooms that are large enough to accommodate the medical supplies someone with Parkinson’s needs or may need in the future.

Finally, it’s necessary to have reliable home care providers available on a 24-hour basis for activities of daily living, medication administration, meal preparation and more. These people also provide companionship, which is in many ways equally important.