Living with Parkinson’s Disease

Parkinson’s patients are prone to fall due to slow movement and tremor, etc. Therefore, the living environment of patients should be spacious and bright, with sufficient lighting, the amount of furniture should be minimized, and the threshold steps should be removed or lowered. In the living room, wide, low beds should be used, and there should be a certain space around the beds, thick and warm bedding, and light and soft covers. Indoor floors should not be waxed and carpets should be removed as much as possible. Indoor furniture should have rounded corners and avoid sharp edges and corners. Chairs with high backrests and armrests are preferred to make it easier to get up and sit down. Install handles and handrails in the common indoor daily activities, the position of which should be based on the position where the patient often holds the wall with his/her hand, and the appropriate height should be the place where his/her hand touches the wall and leaves a stain. The handrail should be installed at a place higher than the handle, with the tube holders fixed on both sides and a hard tube installed in the center to make it easy for the patient to move. Hu Guohua, Department of Neurology, The Second Hospital of Jilin University, the restroom should be closer to the living room, the use of seated toilet, 40 to 50 cm high, and the distance from the wall should not be less than 45 cm, so that the wheelchair close. The wall is also equipped with handles to help patients change positions. Appropriately raise the height of the floor outside the bathtub to reduce the span between the bathtub and the floor. Place non-slip mats on the bathroom floor and the bottom of the bathtub. Install handles near the bathtub or shower head, or put a small chair for bathing to facilitate bathing. Use liquid soap with a squeeze. Wear front closures, tape or zippers instead of buttons, and loose-fitting pants without waistbands or with elastic waistbands. Wear lightweight shoes that do not have laces, and avoid rubber or raw rubber soles to prevent the patient from falling forward when the shoe grips the ground. Wear elastic stockings to promote venous return in the lower limbs and prevent postural hypotension.