Caregiving Tips for Parkinson's Disease

Veena Sheel Bhatnagar, 80, a former lecturer of Economics, has been a non-stop caregiver for over five decades to her family members, the last being her late husband Vijay Sheel Bhatnagar who had Parkinson’s Disease. Here she recounts her long journey caregiver and shares many learnings. I became a caregiver soon after my marriage in 1963 at age 22. Since then it has it has been a nonstop 50+ year journey of caregiving. Till recently, I was a looking after my husband who had Parkinson’s Disease…

Pramesh Ratnakar, English professor, author, and third generation patient of Parkinson’s Disease, rues the absence of a cure, discusses Eliot and Homer in class to overcome Covid adversities and duels unrelentingly and imaginatively with the neurological condition. Plus a reflective poem by Ankur Bashar, his student and film maker who also made the film "The Invisible Enemy".   Who am I? My name is Pramesh Ratnakar. I am 64 years old. Many people call me a maverick for my iconoclastic…

Dr Prathima, 41 is a General Physician, and was diagnosed with Young Onset Parkinson’s Disease (YOPD) in her late thirties. She shares her struggles and fears, as well as her strategies for coping with the challenges and pent up tensions. Please tell us a bit about your condition I am 41 years old and was diagnosed with Young Onset Parkinson’s Disease (YOPD) approximately 4 years ago. Initially the symptoms were very subtle and being a doctor myself, I managed to get a  timely diagnosis.…

Shaila Bhagwat from Pune has been living with Parkinson’s for some years now. But the lockdowns and social distancing in recent times have made her opt for online therapy sessions as well as look forward to interactions on virtual platforms. She shares how she benefitted from both. When did the online therapy sessions start for you? I am a member of the B. K. Parikh Support Group which is part of the PDMDS (Parkinson Disease & Movement Disorder Society), Mumbai, and is also a part of PDMDS…

पांच साल पहले 45 वर्षीय सुनंदिता का जीवन बढ़िया चल रहा था जब उन्हें पार्किंसंस रोग का निदान मिला। निदान पर विश्वास कर पाना मुश्किल था! इस निदान से उनका जीवन बहुत प्रतिबंधित हो गया। चुनौतियों से जूझना और उचित जीवनशैली के बदलाव कर पाना कठिन था। लेख में पेश हैं उनके अनुभव और विचार। कृपया हमें अपने बारे में कुछ बताएं। मैं एक मध्यमवर्गीय भारतीय बंगाली परिवार से हूं। मेरा जन्म और पालन-पोषण कोलकाता के उपनगरीय इलाके में हुआ है। मेरे पिता केंद्र सरकार में कार्यरत थे और मां एक स्कूली शिक्षक थीं जो बाद में…

Five years back when she was diagnosed with an early onset of Parkinson’s Disease, much to her disbelief, Sunandita, 45, had everything going for her. Since then, it has been an uphill task living with a condition that has cramped her lifestyle in more ways than one. Please tell us a little bit about yourself, your background. I am from a middle-class Indian Bengali family, born and brought up in the suburbs of Kolkata. My father was a Central government employee and mother, a schoolteacher-…

Samiksha Sivan, integrates her experience at PDMDS to talk about some of the negative emotions felt by caregivers of persons with Parkinsons and the how they can cope with the negative emotions like anger, resentment, guilt and anxiety. Dealing with a chronic, progressive condition like Parkinson’s disease (PD) can take a significant toll on a person, be it a caregiver or a patient. Being able to cope with everyday tasks at home and work as well as the stresses of caregiving for a Person with…

Tejali Kunte, Head of Psychology, PDMDS (Parkinson’s Disease and Movement Disorder Society), talks about their unique initiative ‘PDMDS Encourages Talent’ which provided a platform for Persons with Parkinson’s to showcase their talents and also boost their confidence in a big way. What was the main vision behind the initiative? Was it just motivational? -Creative arts like dance, music, poetry, art and craft have tremendous therapeutic effects on the symptoms of Parkinson’s. At PDMDS, we…

बुजुर्गों में चोट लगने का प्रमुख कारण शायद उनका गिरना है। गिरने की वजह से चिकित्सा के और रीहैब (पुनर्वास) के खर्च भी बहुत ऊंचे होते हैं। इस लेख में  पोरसेलवी ए.पी., एक संज्ञानात्मक और मनोसामाजिक हस्तक्षेप विशेषज्ञ, साझा करती हैं कि घर में बुजुर्गों के गिरने से बचाव (फॉल प्रिवेंशन) के लिए कैसे बदलाव संभव हैं - जैसे कि हैण्ड-रेल लगवाना, एंटीस्किड (फिसलन विरोधी) मैट का इस्तेमाल, घर में अत्याधिक और अव्यवस्थित सामान को हटा कर घर व्यवस्थित करना, संतुलित रखने वाले मजबूत जूते पहनना, इत्यादि।…

Dr Wadia helps patients with Neurological Conditions and their primary family caregivers navigate this Covid-19 lockdown period with expert advice on managing emergencies and complications. Click on the video link below to view the webinar recording.  Let’s discuss the major challenges patients may face during this COVID pandemic: Identification and management of neurological emergencies, so you know when to avoid unnecessary trips to the hospital. Emergency scenarios will include Stroke…