Parkinson’s Senior Care Guide

Any time a loved one receives a new diagnosis, it’s natural to wonder about how that diagnosis is likely to affect their quality of life and ability to live independently. That’s especially true when someone you love has Parkinson’s disease. Because Parkinson’s is a neurological disorder, it can affect both physical and mental functioning, creating concerns about a senior’s safety at home.

Some people with Parkinson’s disease also develop dementia, or a loss of thinking and reasoning skills that can make it difficult to perform certain activities. If your loved one develops dementia, you may need to make additional home modifications or create new routines. When you’re ready for these changes, it’s much easier to adapt. Adaptation reduces stress and improves your loved one’s quality of life, in turn.

This guide provides an overview of the most important home safety considerations for seniors with Parkinson’s disease. It also explains what to look for in a senior living community if your loved one has Parkinson’s disease and needs more assistance than you can provide at home.

Room-by-Room Home Modifications for Seniors With Parkinson's Disease

Before making home modifications, it’s important to conduct a thorough assessment to determine what hazards exist and what can be done to correct them. The checklist below is designed to help you identify potential safety issues in each room. Print out a copy and keep it with you as you walk through the home. Click on the checklist below to download.

Home Safety Considerations for Seniors With Parkinson's Disease

Parkinson’s disease has a major impact on a person’s balance and coordination, increasing the risk of falls. In fact, between 45% and 68% of people with Parkinson’s disease sustain falls each year; these falls may lead to broken bones, head injuries and other serious consequences. Poor balance also makes it difficult to walk through cluttered living spaces without tripping or bumping into things. For some people with Parkinson’s disease, shaking and other uncontrollable movements make it difficult to prepare meals, increasing the risk of burns or knife-related injuries.

With modifications, it’s possible to minimize some of these hazards, making the home much safer. Here are some of the most important safety considerations for seniors with Parkinson’s disease.

Lighting

In some people, Parkinson’s disease causes blurry vision, double vision and other vision problems. You may not be able to take away these symptoms, but you can complete lighting modifications to make it a little easier for your loved one to see. In rooms with dim overhead lighting, use table lamps or floor lamps to make things brighter. Consider adding LED lights inside kitchen cabinets or above countertops to make it easier to see while preparing meals or putting away dishes.

For seniors who use walkers or wheelchairs, it can also be helpful to add light-switch extenders in each room of the home. These extenders make it possible to access existing light switches without having to reach or stand up from a seated position, which may reduce the risk of falls. If necessary, add longer cords or chains to overhead lights that aren’t on a switch.

Flooring

Parkinsonian gait is a common symptom of Parkinson’s disease. People with this symptom may shuffle their feet when they walk or freeze before taking a step. Your loved one may also maintain a stooped position as they walk, making it even more difficult to navigate through each room. One way to reduce the risk of falls is to replace thick carpeting with thin carpet or hard flooring. Deep-pile carpet isn’t recommended because people who shuffle don’t pick up their feet when they walk, increasing the risk of tripping over the thick surface. Additionally, walkers and wheelchairs are more difficult to maneuver and use on deep-pile carpeting.

Furniture

Depending on how the disorder progresses, you may want to replace some of your loved one’s furniture to make it easier for them to get up and down without falling. For example, you may want to add a lift chair recliner to the living room. This type of chair is commonly used for sleeping as the disease progresses, because of the added comfort and positioning it can provide. It has an internal motor to lift it up and down, making it easier for an older person with Parkinson’s disease or another neurological disorder to get in and out of the chair.

Tripping Hazards

It’s also important to remove tripping hazards from your loved one’s home, which can cause a loss of balance. Take a look around your loved one’s living space to see if any of the following tripping hazards are present:

• Electrical cords stretched across walkways
• Loose carpeting
• Area rugs
• Broken or loose tiles
• Clutter in walkways
• Furniture sticking out into walkways
• Too much furniture in a room

What To Look For in a Senior Living Community for a Loved One With Parkinson’s

If you and your loved one decide that their needs would be better served in a senior living community, it’s important to choose one that offers specialized care for residents with Parkinson’s disease. Here’s what to look for:

• Specialists Available: If a community doesn’t have access to a neurologist for consultations, it should at least make it easy for residents to acquire expert neurology care when needed. It’s also helpful if the community offers convenient access to an imaging center or hospital in case a resident’s symptoms get worse.
• 24-Hour Supervision: Your loved one may not need someone in their living quarters at all times, but it’s important to have a trained staff member available 24 hours per day. Staff members may provide help with activities of daily living, physical or occupational therapy, arrange for off-site medical care or perform other functions to keep your loved one safe.
• Experienced Caregivers: The best programs have experienced staff members available to supervise residents and manage their care. Some senior living communities provide Parkinson’s-specific training to help employees better assist residents with this diagnosis and quickly recognize the signs of disease progression.
• Medication Management: Medication management is especially important for seniors with Parkinson’s disease, as delays have been shown to result in “an immediate increase in symptoms.” Late administration of medications can cause confusion, loss of balance, worsening tremors and difficulty communicating. Senior living communities that prioritize on-time medication administration are safer for residents with Parkinson’s than those that have frequent medication delays.

Personalized Care Plans: No two people with Parkinson’s disease are exactly the same. Symptoms vary in frequency and severity, making personalized care essential for slowing disease progression. Individualized care may also make it easier for staff members to notice when a resident’s symptoms are getting worse.

Senior Living Facilities That Offer Parkinson's Management and Care

Assisted living communities have staff members available 24 hours per day and offer a wide range of services and amenities to promote health and independence, making them a good fit for many people with Parkinson’s disease. Some communities even offer specialized Parkinson’s care programs, giving residents the extra support they need to manage their symptoms and preserve as much neurological function as possible.

The table below provides examples of assisted living communities that offer programs specifically for seniors with Parkinson’s disease.

For assistance choosing a community that offers specialized care for residents with Parkinson’s disease, contact a family advisor at (888) 307-1103.

Resources for Caregivers of Seniors With Parkinson's Disease

If your loved one was just diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, it’s important to familiarize yourself with the symptoms and find out how to provide the best possible care. The table below includes resources to help you learn more about Parkinson’s and understand how to keep your loved one as healthy as possible as they live with the disorder.