See What Parkinson’s Disease Hallucinations Are With Your Twin Falls, ID Comfort Keepers®

Parkinson’s Disease (PD) is a central nervous system disorder that often begins gradually, with symptoms increasing in severity as a person ages. If you or a loved one has PD, you’re probably all too familiar with the motor symptoms, but what about the non motor symptoms?

People with PD can experience a number of non motor symptoms, some of which can be more frustrating than the common motor symptoms. Things like constipation, depression, body aches, hallucinations, or delusions can take their toll, especially on seniors. 

Did you know that it is estimated that around 50% of seniors with PD will experience hallucinations or delusions as part of their non motor symptoms?

What Causes Parkinson’s Disease Hallucinations And Delusions?

As of now, there is no way to reliably predict which people with PD will experience hallucinations or delusions, but there are theories about why they can happen in the first place. One theory is that hallucinations or delusions are simply a natural part of the progression of PD. Another suggests that they could be a side effect of certain dopamine therapies. Risk factors include:

• Certain medications that increase dopamine levels 
• Duration and severity of Parkinson’s 
• Getting older 

Healthcare providers may refer to these hallucinations or delusions as Parkinson’s Disease Psychosis, or PDP.

What Signs Should I Watch For?

There are a number of warning signs that you and other people associated with your loved one’s care should be aware of including:

Signs that a loved one may be experiencing hallucinations can include: seeing, smelling, tasting, hearing, or feeling things that are not really there. 

Signs that a loved one may be experiencing delusions can include: 

• Thinking someone is trying to steal from, harm, or deceive them
• Believing their loved one is being unfaithful
• Thinking a TV show or song is talking directly to them

Due to the fact that hallucinations and delusions can increase in severity over time, it is imperative that you pay attention to any warning signs. If left unchecked, people who experience hallucinations or delusions can begin to lose their grasp on what is real, causing them undue stress and anxiety. 

If you believe that a loved one is experiencing hallucinations or delusions, please be sure to contact their PD specialist!

How In Home Care Can Help

So you’ve decided that you need a little more help taking care of your loved one with PD, and that’s okay! We all need a little bit of help sometimes and that where your local Comfort Keepers® can step in. Our compassionate, friendly caregivers can provide more than just crucial in home care for people with PD, they provide Interactive Caregiving™.

Interactive Caregiving™ is our in home care philosophy that seniors are happiest and healthiest when all of their mental, physical, and social needs are cared for. We encourage seniors to work together with their caregiver in order to create schedules and activities that they can look forward to and enjoy. From trying new recipes, to spending time with family and friends, to searching for new books at the library, we want your loved one to do the things they enjoy. 

At Comfort Keepers™, our goal is to provide your loved one with the safety and security they need to continue living in their home, without making them feel as though they’ve lost their independence. We want seniors to be able to spend their golden years enjoying the home they worked for. 

If you’d like to learn more about how a Comfort Keepers® caregiver can assist you or your loved one with Parkinson’s Disease, our full list of in home care services available in Twin Falls, or if you’d like to schedule your free in home consultation, please contact us online any time or call us at (208) 733-8988.

Resources For People With Parkinson’s Disease

• National Parkinson’s Foundation: Improves the lives of people with Parkinson’s by improving care and advancing research toward a cure. They build on the energy, experience, and passion of their global Parkinson’s community.
• American Parkinson’s Disease Association (APDA): The American Parkinson’s Disease Association is the largest grassroots network dedicated to fighting Parkinson’s disease and works tirelessly to help the approximately one million people with Parkinson’s to live life to the fullest. 
• The Michael J. Fox Foundation For Parkinson’s Research: The Michael J. Fox Foundation is dedicated to finding a cure for Parkinson’s disease through an aggressively funded research agenda and to ensuring the development of improved therapies for those living with Parkinson’s today. 
• Davis Phinney Foundation For Parkinson’s: This foundation provides essential information, practical tools, and inspiration to people living with Parkinson’s and funds early phase, innovative research that focuses on exercise, speech, movement, and other factors that affect quality of life. Their goal is to help people with Parkinson’s live well today.