Caring for your patient with Parkinson's
This information is for hospital ward staff who work with people
with Parkinson's.
Parkinson's is one of a range of conditions you may come across
in a hospital setting.
Parkinson's symptoms
There is a range of physical
Parkinson's symptoms, but there are a number of mental and emotional symptoms too.
It's important to remember that not everyone with Parkinson's
has the same symptoms and they will affect each person in a
different way.
Symptoms can get better or worse at different times. This can be
caused either by Parkinson's or the medication used to treat it.
You may find the following resources useful:
Treating Parkinson's
Medication is the main treatment for Parkinson's. There are
drugs that work by replacing or mimicking the actions of dopamine,
the chemical that is in short supply in the brains of people with
Parkinson's.
More information on drug treatments
Impulsive and compulsive behaviour is a side effect that affects
some people taking dopamine agonists.
However, it can affect people taking other Parkinson's drugs too,
including levodopa.
More information on impulsive and compulsive behaviour
Timing of Parkinson's medication
It's important that other people realise the 'on/off' nature of Parkinson's. Otherwise they may not give the help needed because they believe the person is 'putting it on'.
Someone with
Parkinson's may take lots of different drugs. If people with
Parkinson's are unable to take their Parkinson's medication at the
right time, their symptoms will be less controlled - increasing
their care needs considerably.
It can take someone with Parkinson's a long time to get back to
normal after this.
This will mean that staff will need to do more for the person
with Parkinson's than would otherwise be necessary.
More information
Going home
Your patient's return home should be planned on their admission
to hospital. You may need to speak to a hospital social worker
about the arrangements.
An occupational therapist may visit your patient's home to see
if there are any tasks that might be difficult on their return.
It can be stressful to stay in hospital. It might take someone
with Parkinson's longer to get over their treatment.
What support is available for professionals?
Resources for professionals
We have a range of publications for
health and social care professionals on all aspects of
Parkinson's.
Our information folder for
professionals contains a wealth of helpful guides and leaflets
for those working with people with Parkinson's.
Training
See our education and training pages
for information about courses and seminars for hospital staff.
Our Professionals' Network
Our Professionals' Network offers you the latest
information about Parkinson's tailored to your professional needs.
It's free to join for all health and social care professionals.
Caring for your patient with Parkinson's booklet
Order or download our free booklet created especially for
hospital ward staff, Caring for your
patient with Parkinson's.
Helpline support for professionals
As well as providing support to people affected by Parkinson's,
our free and confidential helpline 0808 800
0303 can give best practice information to health and social
care professionals.
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