World Parkinson’s Disease Day 2023: Parkinson’s disease is an ailment, unlike other chronic diseases. Unfortunately, without any known cure, the best hope for anyone affected by this progressive neurological disorder is to get the proper care and guidance that helps improve the quality of life. The first step towards dealing with Parkinson’s is understanding how it affects a person and what approach to adopt to make a living at home safe and convenient for the patient. Since the condition requires 24×7 care, ensuring the patient’s home is made safe for living is imperative. If they live alone, a comprehensive assessment of needs such as support for mobility, physical safety, social interactions, transportation, and adequate provisioning of existing and future healthcare and daily life needs must be made. Dr Vishal Sehgal, President of Portea Medical, shares some things the patients or their caregivers should be mindful of.
Finding The Right Home Healthcare Partner
The role of caregivers and healthcare partners in the treatment of Parkinson’s is immense and can massively affect to empower the patient. With the right caregivers, home healthcare can be the right choice for patients as it will ensure quality care in the comfort of their homes. Most organized sector home healthcare companies are present digitally and can be contacted to understand their approach, experience, and services related to Parkinson’s patients. Some things to be checked include whether the provider is licensed and certified and the spectrum of services offered.
The Next Step Is To Develop A Holistic Care Plan
.Whether you are the patient, their relative or caregiver, it must be clearly understood what the home healthcare company will provide all care and services and what is not included. In addition, one must know the process and frequency of services, access to specialized care in emergencies, costs, and all other aspects. Besides guiding you on making the home safer for the patient, the provider will develop a customized care plan including the following:
Medication management – Parkinson’s patients often require various medications for managing their symptoms and slowing down the progression as far as possible. The patient might also be suffering from other health challenges such as diabetes or blood pressure etc., and the medication management plan would include this schedule as well.
Emotional support – Parkinson’s is one of the most challenging ailments regarding its emotional impact on patients and their caregivers. That is why a good home care plan for the condition must include dynamic support services such as counselling or engaging the patient in conversations as far as possible.
Physiotherapy plan – From the early stages onwards, Parkinson’s patients often experience muscle stiffness and tremors. Integrating a physiotherapy and exercise schedule into the care plan can manage these challenges, and the patient can experience better mobility as far as possible.
Nutrition management – Parkinson’s patients are known to struggle with swallowing food. That is where care must be given, including nutritional counselling to ensure that the patient gets adequate nutrition.
Clear Communication
Communication between providers and patients or their caregivers is paramount for a home healthcare service’s success. Any changes in symptoms, side effects of medicines or patient discomfort should be urgently communicated to the providers. Questions or quality concerns about the offered service must also be promptly expressed.
Conclusion
In today’s digitally-driven healthcare ecosystem, home healthcare services for Parkinson’s patients must be chosen carefully. By evaluating the above points and researching all desired information, it is possible to identify the right service provider to ensure the patient’s quality of care and life experience throughout the journey. With ongoing research and advancements in treatment options, we can remain hopeful that a cure for Parkinson’s disease will be found. Until then, let’s continue to provide the necessary care and support for those affected by this progressive neurological disorder.
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