Parkinson's disease strikes a person when certain neurons (nerve cells) inside the brain gradually break down or die.
Parkinson's is a disease that can affect every relationship the patient has, be it friends, partners, children and colleagues. Lower self-esteem can cause you to withdraw from any relationship. Since this disease is a progressive neuro disorder accompanied by progressive disabling of motor functions affecting patients' physical and psychological conditions and hence worsening their quality of life of themselves as well as caregivers assisting advanced Parkinson's patients too. Psychotherapy as well as social support to patients can help ease the challenges of living with a potentially disabling illness.
Parkinson's disease is more prevalent (about 1.5 times) among men than in women. This is mainly due to toxicant exposure, head trauma, hereditary, oestrogen levels etc. that is found more male gender than females affecting the brain cells of the individual. Affected patients with Parkinson's eventually face death due to different complications of the disease. However, early treatment can improve the quality of life and slow or temporarily stop the progression of Parkinson’s.
The caregivers play an important role along with patients towards the stages of treatment and recovery for a long period and are usually ignored by our society,
The helpers or caregivers being family members or hired professional Nurses mainly suffer from symptoms like fatigue, sleep disorders, depression, deteriorating physical health as well as mental health conditions along with hypertension. These are correlated with the illness of their respective Parkinson's patients who are depending upon their guidance or support. The experience of a caregiver is a total rollercoaster, be it physical or mental. The caregivers are often forgotten and overlooked. Even they were not given much information on what to expect from them or how to handle issues with this horrible diagnosis.
Most Parkinson's patients are cared for in their homes themselves and mostly these patients are dependent upon their spouses (either male or female) as their main informal caregivers. As the disease progresses the caregiver of any Parkinson's patient assumes many responsibilities including medication, administration, care coordination, surveillance of their balances/reflexes, emotional support etc. Having a caregiver beside the patients has shown better outcomes in motor functions and health conditions.
If the caregivers are professional and hired from outside sources they usually do not support the patients as required or as done by their own family members. Even professional caregivers themselves suffer from trauma which affects their own families due to their long duties, and mental state. Even changes in caregivers cannot be actually ignored which in turn affects the treatment process. In a study, it has been found that 50% of the caregivers declared mood change within 6 months of their association with PD patients and their mood gradually worsened over a period of time in the majority of cases. These findings are not only statistically significant but also have much clinical relevance while they are acting as caregivers
Caregiver burden should be taken into consideration in the management or treatment of patients affected by Parkinson's in order to maintain and improve both the lives of caregivers as well as patients.
Some people even find themselves in a period of mourning for the lives they previously had. One has to come to terms with the change in their lifestyle, personal identity and working capabilities.
It has been studied that the treatment of Parkinson's patients who undergo Non-invasive Ultrasound treatment processes has been associated with lower caregiver burden, with much less mental trauma in comparison to the treatment process through medicine, therapies or invasive methods.
Let’s walk together to an Independent Life away from Dependency on this 75th Independence day. through Non-Invasive Ultrasound treatment procedures.
Anima Das has been working at DSS for the last 12 years as a Manager in the Corporate Marketing division. It has been an interesting journey learning as well as taking up new challenges as she grew in this organization. Every interesting subject that has come to her notice which makes her inquisitive to know more, she likes to bring to the notice of all concerned. She is a Post graduation of Burdawan University.
