Parkinson's disease symptoms appear gradually, generally with a tremor that is scarcely detectable. A common sign is a shaking of the fingers, wrist or foot. If a family member has been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, one should begin looking for additional information regarding the disease's symptoms and prognosis.
Consult a team of experts that specialise in Parkinson's disease patient care if you have any questions. As a caretaker, you will be responsible for a variety of chores, including driving the patient to the doctor and aiding him or her with daily activities. You should be physically and mentally ready to take on obligations and deal with everyday situations.
Begin by prioritising your daily chores and completing those that are most important before moving on to others. Break down a large task into smaller, more manageable chunks, note the specifics, prioritise, and assign duties to other caregivers or relatives to assist you in completing them while still leaving time for you to manage your own tasks.
Caregiving is not an easy job, after a while you might feel stressed out and eventually burnout.
Burnout is an emotional state caused by chronic stress caused by prolonged patient care duty that is not managed effectively. It is a state of emotional exhaustion characterised by a sense of listlessness and a loss of motivation. In order to be an effective caregiver, this must be addressed as soon as possible. This is because proper care cannot be provided if the caregiver is faced with stressful challenges.
What are the signs of being overly stressed?
The following are indicators of emotional burnout induced by long-term patient care without proper rest.
- Feeling listless and bored.
- Projecting negative ideas.
- Losing the sense of satisfaction and motivation to care for the patient.
- Anxiety, inability to sleep, headaches, inexplicable pain and digestive issues.
- Autonomic nervous system dysfunction which may include heart palpitations.
- Changing blood pressure, cardiac problems, exhaustion and weakness.
If the symptoms go untreated, they can lead to a variety of other health problems, including depression.
Here are some pointers to help caregivers deal with and manage stress more effectively:
- Make time to rest and relax on a regular basis, and find a substitute caregiver. Make sure you get enough rest and sleep and eat a healthy diet. Plan ahead of time so that you and others can take turns caring for the patient. Setting up a care schedule and communicating with others can help relieve stress because you can discuss patient care with others and set your own off times ahead of time.
- Exercise relieves stress and removes you from a stressful situation. Effective exercise can be as simple as a 10 to 15-minute walk to provide distraction. A 30-40-minute workout three to five times per week, when possible, can improve health. The body will secrete hormones that will both energise and relax you, boosting both positivity and good physical health.
Steps to motivate yourself as caregiver
- Take a deep breath and carve out some time for yourself, even if it's only a few minutes. Appreciate the small things that bring a smile to your face. Walking on your lawn, breathing the sweet scent of flowers, listening to soothing music, reading literature that lifts your spirits, and sipping warm tea or water to calm your mind and body, are all excellent motivational aids.
- Ignore or dismiss any disputes or problems that may arise in your mind, as well as future events. Stay in the now and pay attention to what's going on directly in front of you. Regardless of how tired and exhausted you are, once the clock strikes twelve, a new day begins. Believe that miraculous things can happen.
- Laughing your problems away is a great technique to relieve stress. Try to find the humorous aspect of the situation and enjoy yourself, even if only for a short time.
- Join a support group, such as the local Parkinson's disease patient club or caretaker group, which is eager to lend a helping hand when things get tough.
- You need friends. When your friends or others offer to assist you, don’t turn them down: you might end up with a better result than if you tried to do it yourself.
- Plan ahead of time and set a reminder to avoid missing important tasks. A plan can be beneficial.
- Change must be accepted and embraced. There will be days that will either make you happy or make you miserable. You have the option of walking away or shunning things that frustrate you.
- If you and the patient live with other family members, let everyone take turns caring for the patient at least once a week. This will reduce the risk of burnout of the primary caregiver who can take a day off to do things they enjoy such as going out, eating out with friends, or just having a good rest.
Authors: Prof Dr Roongroj Bhidayasiri, neurologist specialising in Parkinson's disease and related disorders with MedPark Hospital, head of the Center of Excellence for Parkinson’s Disease and Related Disorders at King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital of the Thai Red Cross Society; Rn Porntip Jongsuntisuk, Parkinson’s Disease Nursing Specialist.
Series Editor: Katalya Bruton, Healthcare Content Editor and Director, Dataconsult Ltd. Dataconsult’s Thailand Regional Forum provides seminars and extensive documentation to update business on future trends in Thailand and the Mekong Region.