Ways to Treat Parkinson’s Disease and Assisted Living Care in Phoenix

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Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder that doesn’t discriminate. It affects an estimated one million Americans. The number of people having PD is more than people having multiple sclerosis, muscular dystrophy, and ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease) combined.

Parkinson’s Disease:

Men are twice as likely as women to develop this disease. It affects an individual’s coordination, speech, movement, and memory by killing healthy brain cells called neurons. PD is a movement disorder that progresses slowly with some of the first signs being a sense of weakness, difficulty walking, and stiff muscles. One may also notice a tremor of the head or hands. Parkinson’s is a progressive disorder and the symptoms worsens gradually with some of the general symptoms being

1. Unsteady balance.
2. Slowness of voluntary movements like initiating walking or rolling over in bed.
3. Monotonous speech, decreased facial expression and eye blinking.
4. Abnormal tone or stiffness in the trunk.
5. Swallowing problems in advance stages.
6. Fainting or lightheadedness when standing.
7. Anxiety and depression are also common.
8. Development of balance and mobility problems as the disease progresses.

An average of 60,000 people in the U.S. are diagnosed with Parkinson’s every year with most people being diagnosed after the age of 60. If you or a senior beloved has Parkinson’s disease, the supportive environment of an assisted living community like the award-winning Anthem Senior Living in Phoenix, AZ might help you live rich and meaningful days. Expect for your beloved to receive the best form of Anthem assisted living care and support.

Treating Parkinson’s Disease:

While there is currently no cure for PD, taking a few steps can help manage current symptoms and potentially delay others:

Eat Healthy– A healthy diet helps manage most medical conditions, which holds true for PD as well. Consult with your physician in this regard.

Physical Activity- Physical activity can play a key role in delaying the progression of PD with some low impact exercises that can help stay fit being walking, swimming, tai chi, etc.

Strength Training– Maintain stamina and balance with resistance bands and light weights that can help reduce falls.

Home Safety Audit– It is advisable to conduct a home safety audit, or you can hire an occupational therapist for the same who can identify potential in-home fall risks and make recommendations for improving them.

Prescription Medication– Although medications don’t cure PD, there have been advances in creating medications to manage and treat symptoms in recent years with the most common medications being Levodopa and carbidopa (Sinemet).

The levels of care offered at Anthem Senior Living includes long term care, elder care, Dementia & Memory care, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s and respite care.