Carole's Story - Parkinson's Awareness Week 2018
Published: 11/04/2018
When 77 year old live in customer Carol was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease 20 years ago, she feared being forced to move to a care home. As part of our support for Parkinson's Awareness Week 2018 (10-16 April), we have spoken to Carol about her experiences of living with Parkinson's Disease.
When 77 year old live in customer Carol was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease 20 years ago, she feared being forced to move to a care home.However, thanks to our Live-in Care service, Carol has been able to maintain her independence and continue living in her own home.
As part of our support for Parkinson's Awareness Week 2018 (10-16 April), we have spoken to Carol about her experiences of living with Parkinson's Disease.
Carol said:
Last year I became very ill and had to move into a care home, but I really missed my independence and having my own space, so now I have a live-in carer to support me 24/7.
The symptoms of Parkinson's disease have had a huge impact on my life for many years, particularly in the mornings when my tremors and shakes are terrible.
My Care Assostant, Bozenna has supported me to make small changes to my lifestyle to overcome some of the issues I face.
For example, my carer gives me my morning medication and breakfast in bed, which gives the medication time to kick in and makes the next part of my morning run a little smoother.
She has also helped me to improve my diet, with homecooked foods instead of ready meals, which has made a big improvement to my overall health and helped me to overcome some of my mobility issues.
Live-in care has made a dramatic improvement to my life; I am now able to get out and about, go shopping or visit the seaside, which was simply not possible on my own. Bozenna is a blessing, we get on really well and I value her company tremendously.
Parkinson’s Disease is a neurological condition, which currently has no cure and it is still unknown as to why people develop the disease. Around 127,000 people in the UK have Parkinson’s, which equates to one in every 500 people in the UK. The symptoms of Parkinson's disease have had a huge impact on my life for many years, particularly in the mornings when my tremors and shakes are terrible.
My Care Assostant, Bozenna has supported me to make small changes to my lifestyle to overcome some of the issues I face.
For example, my carer gives me my morning medication and breakfast in bed, which gives the medication time to kick in and makes the next part of my morning run a little smoother.
She has also helped me to improve my diet, with homecooked foods instead of ready meals, which has made a big improvement to my overall health and helped me to overcome some of my mobility issues.
Live-in care has made a dramatic improvement to my life; I am now able to get out and about, go shopping or visit the seaside, which was simply not possible on my own. Bozenna is a blessing, we get on really well and I value her company tremendously.
Parkinson’s Awareness Week is organised by Parkinson’s UK, a charity that drives better care, treatments and quality of life for everyone living with Parkinson’s.
Clare, Operations Manager, said:
With Parkinson's Disease, the symptoms and the speed of their progression vary from person to person but they include tremors, muscle stiffness and slowness of movement, which can all make it very difficult for people with the condition to live a normal, independent life.
Through our domiciliary care services, we support many customers like Carol to manage their symptoms, complete tasks and stay active, so they can retain their independence and remain living at home for as long as possible.
Through our domiciliary care services, we support many customers like Carol to manage their symptoms, complete tasks and stay active, so they can retain their independence and remain living at home for as long as possible.
