Bath and Shower Safety for Parkinson's Disease Patients

Parkinson's Disease can make it challenging to live your everyday life and daily activities become a challenge when living with Parkinson's including bathing. There are tools that you can buy to help protect yourself from falls while in the shower. These tools include shower chairs, bath mats, bath rails, tub grips, and many more. As Parkinson's progresses the need for these tools becomes more and more. Since Parkinson's Disease causes difficulty with mobility, balance, and slower movements, it is necessary to have these devices in place for assistance.

A device such as the Bathtub Safety Rail is a must for patients who want to maintain independence and safety at the same time. This rail provides the ability for patients to hold on to it while they are entering and exiting the shower or during the shower if they start to lose their balance. This rail is very easy to install since you just tighten the knob on the side of the rail down to the side of the bathtub and it is ready to use. Here is a video tutorial on how to install the bathtub rail.

Bathtub Safety Rail by Easy Living

According to the National Parkinson's foundation, bathtub safety rails are a necessary feature for shower safety of Parkinson's patients.  

References

Easy Living (n.d.). Retrieved November 23, 2016, from http://www.easierliving.com/bathtub-rail-13635.html

National Parkinson Foundation: Believe in Better. Retrieved November 19, 2016, from http://www.parkinson.org/understanding-parkinsons 

Recommendations for Family Members

(Parkinson's Western Australia)

The support of friends and family is necessary from someone who is suffering from Parkinson's Disease. The patient may need support in many different ways including assistance with their daily activities, emotional support, and an accompaniment at their doctor's appointments. If you are accompanying your loved one to their doctors appointments, please read my blog post on how to make the most out of your doctor's visit before you attend their appointment. As your loved one progresses through the stages of Parkinson's disease, they may need your live in support or help making their living quarters safe for them.

Your loved one may have challenges with completing their daily activities as well as trouble controlling their emotions. As a close family member or friend, it is important for you to be there to give them the support that they need during this challenging time. In addition to being there for your loved one who suffers from Parkinson's, it may also be helpful to find them a support group of people who are going through similar situations. A good resource to find these support groups would be their doctor. You or your friend who is suffering could as benefit from counseling from a psychologist who is used to working with people who have chronic conditions.

As I mentioned previously, your loved one will need your help emotionally as well as physically as their condition progresses. Physically they might need help getting around and completing tasks such as eating or getting dressed. You should also prepare their living safe to be safe for them by making it easier to get around by moving objects out of walkways, having emergency numbers readily available, and having a phone located where it is always accessible to them.

References

Parkinson's disease. (n.d.). Retrieved October 21, 2016, from http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/parkinsons-disease/basics/definition/con-20028488 

Parkinson's Disease Center: Symptoms, Treatments, Causes, Tests, Diagnosis, and Prognosis. (n.d.). Retrieved November 23, 2016, from http://www.webmd.com/parkinsons-disease/

Parkinson's Western Australia (n.d.). Retrieved November 23, 2016, from http://www.parkinsonswa.org.au/sites/4ed4977a50ee8549b700296d/assets/4f276fb950ee854f15002783/yanapeople_large.png

Questions to Ask Your Physican

It can be difficult to know what questions to ask your doctor regarding your current medical condition.

(rls.org)

If you are going to your doctor because you have been diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease or you or your family member think you may have Parkinson's Disease, here is a list a questions you should ask your doctor:

(Daily Mail UK)

1. Ask to see a Neurologist, if you are first seeing your primary care doctor.
2. What is the prognosis?
3. What are the possible causes of my symptoms?
4. What types of tests should I take?
5. Are there treatments available for me?
6. What is the current research on Parkinson's Disease?
7. What is the progression of Parkinson's Disease and where am I at currently?
8. Are there any side effects of the treatment option we have chosen?
9. Do you have any educational materials that I could take home to reference?

You should come to your appointment with your primary care doctor or your neurologist prepared with your written questions as well as a friend or family member to help you to make sure you understand all of the information from your questions. In addition to writing your questions, you should also write down your symptoms and how long they have been going on for before you go to your doctor's appointment. It may also be helpful to have a complete list of your medical history and current life events or stressors to provide for your doctor. Expect your doctor to ask about the duration of your symptoms and the severity of your symptoms. You should also be prepared for follow up appointments and laboratory tests.

If you are looking for more information on how to get the most out of your doctors appointment, watch this video.

References

Daily Mail UK (n.d.). Retrieved November 23, 2016, from http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2012/01/05/article-0-0F5A043100000578-643_468x531.jpg

NINDS | Parkinson's Disease Information Page. (n.d.). Retrieved November 20, 2016, from http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/parkinsons_disease/parkinsons_disease.htm 

Parkinson's disease. (n.d.). Retrieved October 21, 2016, from http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/parkinsons-disease/basics/definition/con-20028488 

RLS (n.d.). Retrieved November 23, 2016, from http://www.rls.org/image/2013-site-images/Clinical-Trials.jpg

Living with Parkinson's

Living with Parkinson's Diseases adds daily challenges to everyday life. In my previous blog post, I described the symptoms of Parkinson's disease and some of the difficulty people who suffer from Parkinson's Disease face on a daily basis. As I mentioned previously, symptoms of Parkinson's include tremors of the body including the limbs, face, and stiffness in the body. In addition, slower movements and lack of coordination are also symptoms of Parkinson's Disease. As the disease progresses over time, the patient will have more difficultly completing everyday tasks including walking, chewing, talking, and sleeping. In some cases, the disease will progress quicker than others. The disease also effects emotional stability in the patient and could cause emotional changes as well.

A person in early stage Parkinson's Disease may

experience symptoms with their posture and gate (MedStoreRx).

Living with this disease is a day to day challenge. According to the National Parkinson Foundation, there are five stages of Parkinson's disease and it can take a patient up to 20 years to go through each of these stages. During stage one, the patient has mild symptoms of tremors and other movement disorder that occur on only one side of the body but at this stage patients do not notice an interferce with their everyday life. As the disease progresses to stage two, the symptoms are increasing and symptoms will start to affect both sides of the body. At this stage symptoms can include trouble walking and difficultly completely everyday tasks. The person may still be able to complete tasks they always could but it may start to take them longer. In stage three of Parkinson's Disease, the patient will notice loss of balance, slow movements, and increased risk of falls. A patient with stage three Parkinson's is still able to function on their own but their condition does effect their daily routine. Patients at this stage may have trouble completely everyday tasks such as dressing and eating. As the disease progresses to stage four, most people need assistance with everyday life and are unable to live alone. They will have trouble walking and symptoms are more serious that before. Stage five is the final stage of Parkinson's Disease which results in severe mobility issues including the possible need for a wheelchair and daily assistance. At this stage a person, may be unable to leave the bed and require a full time nurse to help them complete their everyday routine. In addition to the physical struggles a stage five patient faces, they are also facing emotion changes including possibly hallucinations or delusions.

If you are interested in more information on the stages of Parkinson's Disease,  click here to watch a video describing the stages of Parkinson's.

References

MedStoreRx (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.medstorerx.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/parkinsons-disease.jpg

National Parkinson Foundation: Believe in Better. Retrieved November 19, 2016, from http://www.parkinson.org/understanding-parkinsons 

What is Parkinson's Disease?

As stated above, Parkinson's is caused by the lack of dopamine production by neurons in the brain that act on a specific area in the brain called the substantia nigra. Dopamine is a chemical messenger that is responsible for relaying signals from the substantia nigra to other parts of the brain to initiate movements of the body. Symptoms of Parkinson's disease appear when there is damage to about 60-80 percent of the dopamine-producing cells in the brain. When the brain cells become impaired it is called Neurodegeneration.

Parkinson's Disease is a motor system disorder that is a slow progressing disease in most people. The disease is the result of a loss of brain cells that produce dopamine. The brain slowly stops producing dopamine which can take years to develop and people can live for many years with the disease. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that is responsible for the regulation of body movements and emotions. Currently, Parkinson's is incurable but is not a fatal disease on it's own.

Some of the symptoms of Parkinson's disease are tremors of the body including the limbs, face, and stiffness in the body. In addition, slower movements and lack of coordination are also symptoms of Parkinson's Disease. As the disease progresses over time, the patient will have more difficultly completing everyday tasks including walking, chewing, talking, and sleeping. In some cases, the disease will progress quicker than others. The disease also effects emotional stability in the patient and could cause emotional changes as well.

This image depicts the location in the brain where the Substantia

nigra cells are located (Disease Pictures).

Even though Parkinson's disease is not fatal, it is rated one of the top causes of death in the United States due to the complications that go along with this condition. When you go in to see a doctor with these symptoms, your doctor may order brain scans or blood work as well as other tests to rule out the possibilities of other possible conditions. Once you are diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease, the goal of your health care providers is to make you life as comfortable as possible.

References

Disease Pictures (n.d.). Retrieved November 23, 2016, from http://diseasespictures.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Parkinsons-Disease-5.jpg

 NINDS | Parkinson's Disease Information Page. (n.d.). Retrieved November 20, 2016, from http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/parkinsons_disease/parkinsons_disease.htm 

National Parkinson Foundation: Believe in Better. Retrieved November 19, 2016, from http://www.parkinson.org/understanding-parkinsons