What Are Parkinson’s Disease Hallucinations, With Your Greensboro, NC Comfort Keepers®
Many people are aware of the basic facts about Parkinson’s Disease (PD). That it is a central nervous system disorder that primarily affects seniors age 60 and older and has many symptoms, motor and non motor, that increase in severity over time. While most people are aware of the motor symptoms associated with PD, many may not know about the non motor symptoms.
There are a variety of non motor symptoms that people with PD may experience. This can mean anything from sweating and body aches to hallucinations or delusions. Hallucinations or delusions can be particularly difficult to cope with and can cause people with PD to experience unnecessary stress.
It is estimated that around 50% of people with PD will experience hallucinations or delusions.
Give us a call at (336) 252-4429 to learn more!
Understanding Parkinson's Disease Hallucinations And Delusions
While it is true that there is no concrete explanation for what causes PD related hallucinations and delusions, there are theories. One supposes that they are simply a part of the natural progression of PD, while 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.
Are There Signs To Be Aware Of?
There are a number of ways you can determine whether or not your loved one with PD is experiencing hallucinations or delusions. These are just a few:
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
PD related hallucinations or delusions typically increase in severity over time and cause the person experiencing them to feel anxious or stressed. This makes it even more important for the people around them to be aware of any signs their loved one is experiencing them.
If you believe that your loved one is experiencing hallucinations or delusions, always be sure to contact their PD specialist.
How Personal Care From Comfort Keepers® Can Make The Difference
If you’ve decided that in home care is a good option for yourself or your loved one, Comfort Keepers® is here to help! All of our caregivers are exceptionally compassionate and can provide assistance for seniors with PD. They can help around the home with tasks that may be difficult or impossible to do alone, as well as help ascertain the safety of the home, and senior, when no one else is present.
Our caregivers do much more than this though! We train each of our caregivers in our unique in home care philosophy called Interactive Caregiving™. This is the idea that seniors are able to live their happiest and healthiest life when they are supported mentally, physically, and socially. At Comfort Keepers®, we want seniors to work with their caregiver to create meal plans, exercise programs, and more that they can be excited about.
Whether it’s spending time with friends taking classes at the local senior center, or checking out exciting new books at the library, or simply relaxing and listening to their favourite music, a caregiver will be there to encourage your senior to do all the things they love. We will provide as much support as they need in order to make it possible for them to celebrate their golden years in their home, rather than “the home”.
If you’d like to learn more about Comfort Keepers® available Parkinson’s Disease in home care services, our full list of care services available in Greensboro, or if you’d like to schedule your free in home consultation, please contact us online anytime or call us at (336) 252-4429.
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.
