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Parkinson's /
Parkinson's Disease: Tips for Caregivers/
By Sandra Ray, Staff Writer
Depending on the situation, your loved one
may be able to manage taking medication with little
help from you. Dementia, of course, will require
extra vigilance. Some of these ideas may help ease
the medication worries:
- Keep medications in their original
containers.
- Keep handy a list of medications that
your loved one takes in case someone else needs
to dispense medications for you.
- Take the list to each doctor appointment,
especially if you are seeing a physician who
isn’t familiar with your situation.
- Consider using medication “minders” for time
of day or days of the week to keep a good system
in place.
- Keep other family members and friends
informed about the medication schedule,
especially if you are the sole caregiver.
Medications can be expensive, and if prescription
insurance is an issue, consider applying to the
patient assistance programs available through most
of the pharmaceutical companies. Pharmaceutical
companies are required to have patient assistance
programs to help those who may not be able to afford
chronic medications. These programs are often guided
by income and whether or not you have access to
prescription insurance. The physician will often
have to sign paperwork and provide a valid
prescription for the medication that is needed. To
find out if your medications are covered by these
programs, visit www.rxassist.org or
www.needymeds.com. Both of these sites list
medications by generic and brand name and provide
links to forms that you’ll need to fill out in order
to qualify. Eligibility requirements vary according
to the company, so read each one before you apply.
Lifestyle Changes:
Parkinson’s disease may not require a dramatic
change in your lifestyle overnight, but there will
need to be some adjustments made, especially as the
disease progresses. For example, physical therapy
may be needed in order to adjust to some of the
debilitating effects of the movement difficulties
that will become more apparent over time. Medication
can manage some of these effects, but eventually the
medications will lose their effectiveness and
physical adjustments will need to be made. Physical
therapy can help provide coping mechanisms for the
days when your body simply will not move as you want
it to.
Finding the right exercise program is important.
Many people find that they are able to maintain a
fairly active lifestyle, making minor accommodations
in the beginning for Parkinson’s. It is important,
however, to consider slowing down or limiting
certain types of activities due to the disease and
its progression. For example, if you and your loved
one enjoy swimming, make sure you both go together.
If an episode of freezing occurs in the pool, it
could be dangerous. Instead of running on a regular
basis, walking may become a more pleasurable
alternative. There are many activities which require
only minor adjustments in timing or scheduling that
can keep your lifestyle active without feeling that
you are missing too much of your previous
activities. It is important to discuss exercise
programs with your physician, and he or she may be
able to suggest other activities that will keep the
body active and healthy at the same time.
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