Care Guide for Seniors With Parkinson’s Disease

Aging leads to many physical changes, such as reduced bone density, loss of muscle mass and a diminished sense of smell. Many of these changes are just a normal part of life, but some of them increase the risk of developing a neurological disorder like Parkinson’s disease, a condition that causes muscle stiffness, tremors, loss of balance, poor coordination and other neurological symptoms.

As a caregiver, it’s important for you to understand that Parkinson’s disease is progressive. That means the symptoms generally get worse over time, making it more difficult to walk, talk and perform other activities. One way to reduce the risk of complications is to modify your loved one’s home to prevent falls and other accidents associated with poor balance and coordination.

This guide outlines some of the most important home modifications you can make to improve your loved one’s quality of life. If you decide that your loved one isn’t safe at home, use this guide to find a senior living community that provides specialized care for Parkinson’s disease.

No one-size-fits-all home modification plan works for every senior with Parkinson’s disease, as the symptoms affect everyone differently. In some people, the symptoms are severe enough to warrant the use of a wheelchair or walker. Other people with Parkinson’s disease have mild symptoms for several years before the disease progresses.

That’s why it’s important to walk through your loved one’s home and assess it based on their unique circumstances. We put together this room-by-room checklist to help you identify necessary modifications. Keep a copy with you as you walk through each room and examine it for potential safety issues.

Parkinson’s disease affects the nervous system in several ways. Many people freeze before taking a step forward, increasing the risk of trip-and-fall accidents. It’s also common for seniors with Parkinson’s disease to shuffle, which means they don’t pick up their feet when they walk. This makes it more likely that they’ll trip on carpets, loose flooring and other obstacles. As the disease progresses, it may cause vision problems and other symptoms that further increase the risk of injury.

Fortunately, it’s possible to make your loved one safer with home modifications. These are some of the most important safety considerations to keep in mind when you’re modifying a home for an older adult with Parkinson’s disease. If you’re not confident in your home improvement skills, hire a licensed contractor to make the changes for you. 

As you age, your eyes undergo many changes. The lenses get thicker and stiffer, making it more difficult to focus on objects or see things in low lighting conditions. Older adults also experience changes in depth perception and color perception. Parkinson’s disease may cause several vision changes, such as difficulty distinguishing between similar colors and irritation of the eyelids due to decreased blinking. All of these vision changes can make it more difficult for a senior with Parkinson’s to move around their home without falling.

To reduce the risk of injury, make sure every room in your loved one’s home has adequate lighting. One of the easiest ways to do this is to replace burned-out bulbs. You can also brighten things up by using LED bulbs or installing high-watt daytime bulbs. If you decide to try different bulbs, make sure you don’t exceed the wattage recommendations listed on each light fixture.

Floor lamps, table lamps and night-lights are also helpful for making rooms brighter and ensuring your loved one can see as they walk from room to room. If you add lamps to a room, keep the cords out of all walking paths. Otherwise, your loved one may trip and fall.

Choosing the right furniture can help your loved one maintain as much independence as possible. In people with Parkinson’s disease, changes in the nervous system may disrupt normal Circadian rhythms, the physical and mental functions that occur in a 24-hour cycle. These disruptions increase the risk of sleep problems, making a comfortable bed essential. If your loved one has a worn-out mattress, consider replacing it with something that offers just the right amount of support to encourage quality sleep.

If your loved one has difficulty getting into or out of bed, it can also be helpful to buy a hospital-style bed that moves up and down. Adjustable beds reduce the risk of falls by eliminating the need to climb on a high mattress. They also tend to be more comfortable, as you can raise and lower the head of the bed to provide extra support.

You may also need to replace the couches and chairs in your loved one’s living room. Furniture that’s too low to the ground is a fall hazard because seniors with Parkinson’s disease may lose their balance when trying to stand up. Instead of ordering a recliner lift chair online, take your loved one to a local furniture store and have them try out several models. This is the best way to ensure that a couch or chair is just the right height.

If you decide to purchase new furniture, choose items that are an appropriate size for each room in your loved one’s home. Oversized furniture may stick out into walking paths, increasing the risk of trip-and-fall accidents. It’s also important to limit the amount of furniture in each room, as too much furniture can make it difficult for seniors with Parkinson’s disease to move around.

For people who shuffle or freeze before they take a step, some types of flooring are safer than others. In most cases, it’s wise to avoid thick carpeting, as your loved one may have trouble maintaining their balance. Tile, laminate, wood and other hard surfaces reduce the risk of trip-and-fall accidents, making them a good choice for many homes. If you’re concerned about your loved one falling on hard flooring, thin carpeting is an acceptable alternative. To reduce the risk of falls, make sure the carpeting is installed properly, with no wrinkles and no loose edges.

In the bathroom, you need to think about how to protect your loved one from slippery surfaces without creating additional hazards. If you purchase a bath mat to absorb water when getting out of the shower or bathtub, make sure it has nonskid backing. Otherwise, it could slip out of place when your loved one steps on it, resulting in a fall. Grab bars are also helpful, as they can help your loved one steady themselves when moving around the bathroom.

Interior accessibility is also an important consideration, especially if your loved one uses a wheelchair. The first step is to clear as much clutter as possible out of each room. Laundry baskets, furniture, decorative items and other objects can get stuck in wheelchair wheels, making it difficult for your loved one to move around. If necessary, remove a few pieces of furniture from each room to give your loved one extra space to navigate.

You may also need to make some changes to the kitchen and bathroom to ensure your loved one can reach what they need. In the kitchen, it’s helpful to have an open space under the sink so that your loved one can wash dishes or use the sink for other purposes. ADA certified renovation companies are best for making wheelchair friendly environments. 

In the bathroom, you need to think about toilet height and shower/bath accessibility. For best results, the ADA recommends that an accessible toilet has a seat height ranging from 17 to 19 inches. It’s also important to make sure your loved one has enough room to move around the toilet. This means leaving at least 60 inches between the toilet and the side wall. Be sure to install grab bars to make it easier for your loved one to get into and out of their wheelchair without falling.

To make the bathtub or shower enclosure more accessible, consider installing a walk-in or roll-in shower. For wheelchair users, roll-in showers make it possible to enter the shower enclosure and take care of personal hygiene needs without having to transfer from the wheelchair to a shower seat. Since Parkinson’s disease causes balance problems, it’s also important to install grab bars in the shower.

As Parkinson’s disease progresses, your loved one may experience new symptoms that make it difficult to remain at home. Senior living communities have many services to help residents with Parkinson’s disease manage their symptoms and avoid accidents caused by poor balance and gait abnormalities, making them a safer alternative. If you determine that your loved one needs more care than you can provide, make sure the community you choose offers the following:

• Specialty Care: Although Parkinson’s is a neurological disorder, a neurologist isn’t the only health care professional who should be on your loved one’s care team. Look for communities that can manage care transitions as the disease progresses, offering access to physical, occupational and speech therapists and other professionals who understand how to treat Parkinson’s symptoms and help your loved one retain as much function as possible.
• Around-the-Clock Supervision: The community you choose should have at least one nurse or another licensed medical professional on hand 24 hours per day. If your loved one has an emergency, a licensed professional can provide first aid or call first responders for additional assistance.
• Medication Management: Taking medications on time is one of the best ways to prevent Parkinson’s symptoms from getting worse. Look for a community with staff members who are committed to administering medications on time every day.
• Specialized Training: Parkinson’s disease requires specialized care, so it’s important for staff members to understand the course of the disease and know how to address the symptoms that occur as it progresses. Look for communities that offer specialized training to ensure their staff members can provide high-quality care to residents at every stage of Parkinson’s disease, including caring for residents with dementia.

If your loved one needs extra help, assisted living is probably the best fit, as assisted living communities have staff members available to provide assistance with activities of daily living. These communities also have specialized programs to help seniors maintain as much strength as possible. The table below gives an overview of some of the options available, along with a short description of the Parkinson’s care programs available at each one.

If you need help selecting a senior community for your loved one, contact a family advisor at (800) 973-1540. 

Once your loved one is diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, they may need help paying for treatments or covering the cost of home modifications. As a caregiver, you also need to educate yourself about the disease and take advantage of support groups and other tools to help provide education, support and prevent caregiver stress. The organizations below offer educational materials, support groups and other resources to help patients and caregivers manage the physical, mental and financial changes that may accompany a Parkinson’s diagnosis.