Patient/caregiver was educated on findings to watch for and report to the doctor for Parkinson’s Disease as follows:
- Deficiency of and imbalance between chemicals dopamine and acetylcholine in Parkinson’s patients mainly result in symptoms such as, uncontrolled and involuntary jerking body movements, incapacitating tremors, progressively slowing down of movement, difficulty initiating movement, stiffness and rigidity of diffuse body muscles, and loss of automatic body movements. Individuals diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease and caregivers must maintain a close watch on the above mentioned symptoms and report to the physician regarding any newly developing or worsening of any of these symptoms for further follow-up and necessary interventions.
- The chemical acetylcholine in the brain is also believed to contribute significantly to the individual’s thought process and memory. Deficiency in the brain levels of acetylcholine in Parkinson’s patients could contribute to slowing of thought process, growing confusion, and compromised memory. Individuals diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease and caregivers must maintain a close watch on the patient’s alertness and memory. Report to the physician regarding any newly developing problems with or worsening of consciousness and alertness. Report to the physician regarding any progressively increasing frequency in confused states, difficulty with recall of events, and difficulty with recognizing caregivers & friends & family for further follow-up and necessary interventions.
- Impaired neurotransmitter/chemical balance in Parkinson’s patients could frequently result in urinary symptoms, such as, difficulty emptying bladder, urinary retention and back-up, and urinary incontinence. Report to the physician regarding any worsening frequency of urination, growing discomfort with nighttime awakening for restroom trips, increased frequency of urinary tract infections, and worsening bladder control with increasing frequency of incontinence episodes.
