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Encouraging Words: Encouragement from a caregiver can help a patient stay active and fit. |
Helping Patients with
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Parkinson’s Disease Basics
Parkinson’s disease affects nerve cells in a part of the brain called the basal ganglia. The basal ganglia control movement and balance in the body. Inside the basal ganglia are nerve cells, which produce a brain chemical called dopamine. Dopamine takes "messages" about movement from cell to cell in the brain. These messages in the brain tell the rest of the body how to move. In Parkinson’s disease, the cells that produce dopamine gradually die off. This disrupts the processing of information about movement in the brain, which is why someone suffering from Parksinson's disease may have trouble moving.
Practical Tips
- Be a Companion
Join the patient at their doctor visits. Your presence may help the patient to feel more relaxed. It also provides you a chance to relate any changes in the patient's condition. - Take Notes
Bring a pen and notepad with you when you’re with the patient. Taking notes (especially at visits with doctors) frees the patient to focus on communicating their concerns to a doctor. It can also help provide an outline of specific questions for the doctor. Your notes can help clarify instructions or recommendations provided by the doctor. - Stay Organized
Help a patient organize their medication into a medication organizer. Encourage the patient to enroll in the It's Your Move® program. - Be Encouraging
Encourage the patient to stay physically and mentally active, to take his or her medication as directed by the doctor, and to eat a balanced diet. - Learn First-Aid Skills
Learn first-aid techniques, including CPR, the Heimlich maneuver, and other skills.
More Information on Parkinson’s Disease
Note: This Web site contains links to third-party, Parkinson's disease-related Web sites on the Internet. These links are provided as a service to patients and doctors interested in additional information about Parkinson's disease. These sites are not part of this GlaxoSmithKline Web site. The content and materials in these third-party Web sites are not produced by or endorsed by GlaxoSmithKline and may refer to uses for or of our products that are not included in the FDA-approved Prescribing Information for those products. Patients should always consult with their doctor before using any GlaxoSmithKline prescription product.For more information about Parkinson’s disease, and support groups for patients and caregivers, contact:
- American Parkinson Disease Association Inc.
800-223-2732
www.apdaparkinson.org - National Parkinson Foundation
800-327-4545
www.parkinson.org - Parkinson's Action Network
800-850-4726
www.parkinsonsaction.org - Parkinson’s Disease Foundation
800-457-6676
www.pdf.org - WE MOVE: Worldwide Education and Awareness for Movement Disorders
www.wemove.org
