Tag Archive for: chronic health conditions

parkinson's caregiver support - home nursing care salt lake city

Parkinson’s Caregiver Support: Is It Parkinson’s Disease or Something Else?

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parkinson's caregiver support - home nursing care salt lake city

Parkinson’s symptoms often mimic a completely different disease.

Each year, thousands of American seniors are told they have Parkinson’s disease, but in reality, they don’t. For many of these seniors, the actual diagnosis is a similar but lesser-known disease: dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB). As part of our Parkinson’s caregiver support, our home health experts are here with the information you need to understand the differences between these two conditions.

Dementia with Lewy bodies impacts as many as 1.3 million Americans, as reported by the Lewy Body Dementia Association (LBDA). That estimate may very well be too low, considering that some individuals who’ve been incorrectly identified as having Parkinson’s still have not been given the correct diagnosis.

Symptoms for the two diagnoses can be extremely similar, especially as they progress, given that they mirror the same root modifications in the brain.

Below are the signs and symptoms you should watch for, as reported by the LBDA:

  • Worsening dementia – Growing confusion and minimized attention and executive function are common. Memory impairment may not be apparent in the early stages.
  • Frequent visual hallucinations – These are typically intricate and detailed.
  • Hallucinations of other senses – Touch or hearing are usually the most common.
  • REM sleep behavior disorder – This may show up years prior to the onset of dementia or Parkinson’s.
  • Repeated falls and fainting – Including unexplained loss of consciousness.
  • Other psychiatric disruptions – Most of these vary from patient to patient.

Is a correct diagnosis actually critical? Diagnosing DLB quickly and accurately may well mean the difference between life and death, according to Howard I. Hurtig, M.D., Chair, Department of Neurology, Pennsylvania Hospital and Elliott Professor of Neurology. Improperly treating DLB can not only lead to significant adverse reactions, but could even exacerbate symptoms and preclude accurate symptom management.

Some of the confusion among medical professionals stems from the fact that both Parkinson’s disease and DLB come under the same umbrella of Lewy body dementias.

The primary distinction is in the “one-year rule” related to cognitive symptoms. Patients with Parkinson’s disease typically do not present cognitive issues until at least one year after mobility symptoms begin. DLB is typically the exact opposite, with cognitive symptoms emerging first for at least one year.

Harmony Home Health & Hospice, the leading provider of home nursing care in Salt Lake City and surrounding areas, is always here with the Parkinson’s caregiver support and education you need. Reach out to us at 1-877-I-NEED-CARE to arrange for a free home care assessment or to find out about how we can assist your loved one.

Shot of a handsome male doctor talking to a senior man

Learn How Palliative Care Helps Improve Quality of Life

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Shot of a handsome male doctor talking to a senior man

Palliative care helps individuals with chronic health conditions improve quality of life.

What is the first thing that comes to the front of your mind when you hear the phrase “palliative care?” For many people, it’s associated with hospice care. The actual goal of palliative care, though, is to give relief from difficulties like pain, vomiting and nausea that are caused by either a medical condition or from the treatment for that ailment. Sometimes this does come about at the end of life.

Dr. Eric Widera, who practices palliative care at the University of California, San Francisco, points out, “We hear this all the time: ‘They’re not ready for palliative care,’ as if it’s a stage people have to accept, as opposed to something that should be a routine part of care.”

And though similar to hospice care, this type of care concentrates on bettering quality of life, it’s worthwhile at any stage in a patient’s ailment for symptom management and could be used in tandem with curative treatments.

Studies are illustrating a plethora of advantages for patients and their families who decide to use palliative care, including notably higher scores on quality of life assessments, less prevalence of depression and emergency room visits, and even longer survival rates.

Harmony Home Health & Hospice is always here to expand upon this care for your loved one. We believe in providing care for the whole person, and our superior caregivers work vigilantly to improve the quality of life for each individual.

Call on Harmony Home Health & Hospice to determine how we can assist with improving quality of life for older individuals receiving either palliative or hospice care with our wide range of comprehensive in-home health care services. We offer an in-home consultation, during which we can create a plan of care to address particular concerns and challenges, offering solutions that bring comfort and security to older adults and peace of mind to those who love them.

Email or call us any time at 1-877-I-NEED-CARE (1-877-463-3322) to learn about our hospice care in Albuquerque, NM and the surrounding communities, to let us know the challenges you’re facing, and to allow us to provide the support you need.