Are There Early Signs of Parkinson’s Disease?
In-home care can help catch the signs of Parkinson’s disease.
Parkinson’s disease is one of those things that can creep up and go unnoticed until it’s too late. In-home care can help your elderly loved one by staying vigilant and noticing any of the subtle signs. If your loved one is developing certain symptoms or portraying some signs, it’s time to encourage them to talk to a doctor. Parkinson’s has no cure right now, but a doctor will be able to help manage certain symptoms, and in-home care will be able to help your loved one live a high-quality life regardless.
Here are a few signs to look for when you’re worried about whether or not your loved one is developing Parkinson’s disease.
They May Experience Muscle Stiffness
One of the first signs your loved one could be developing Parkinson’s is muscle stiffness. Unfortunately, this is something that many seniors experience, whether or not they are developing Parkinson’s. It is a normal part of aging to have a changing body, and things do become stiff and sore.
However, if your loved one is always stiff this is something in-home care can pay attention to. Your loved one may lose automatic movements like arms swinging while walking, and things may feel more rigid when moving, and this change can be a long-term thing. If your senior has stiff movements for a few weeks it is something to talk to a senior doctor about. If your loved one is only sore once in a while, ask in-home care what is triggering this rigidness, and then ask your loved one to avoid that activity!
Seniors Can Have Muscle Tremors
A massive sign of Parkinson’s disease is experiencing tremors. This usually means they are involuntarily shaking, it’s usually not painful, but it can make it hard to hold on to things or do daily things. Sometimes it lasts for a few seconds, and sometimes it’s longer. They may experience internal tremors, which feel like shaking of the chest, or they may experience outside tremors, which are usually the most noticeable when a senior is trying to rest. When a senior is moving around and working on things, it may become less noticeable, which is good, but it can become frustrating to deal with when they need to rest and relax.
They May Lose Balance and Coordination
Another sign that in-home care can look for is how well a senior is maintaining coordination. Your loved one may start to lose coordination naturally from aging. However, if it is a loss of balance and coordination with other noticeable and subtle signs it is time to talk to a doctor. Your loved one may lose coordination for so many reasons, but if other subtle signs are occurring, it could be due to Parkinson’s disease.
Changes in Speech
Your loved one may start speaking softer or with less volume, sounding breathy and hoarse. Parkinson’s changes the body in many ways and one of them is voice changes. Due to the soft and quiet words, it may become harder to hear what your loved one is saying, or they may start slurring. This can make communication really hard, but it is important that you remain patient.
If you or someone you know needs help with In-Home Care in Cascade, MI, contact Gauthier Family Home Care. We provide quality and affordable home care services in our community. Call us at (616) 560-4057 for more information.
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