Impairments in activities of daily living in Parkinson's disease: implications for management

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder with progressive impairment in motor and cognitive functioning. A review of past research shows that individuals experience not only physical discomfort brought on by the illness, but also considerable psychological distress. Increased dependency on a caregiver due to impairments in activities of daily living (e.g., walking, eating, dressing) may bring on feelings of being a burden and strain relationships. However, since PD is a chronic illness, it necessitates family caregiving throughout the life-span. This has implications for the family members who need to redefine their roles within the family to manage the circumstances brought on by the illness. Such strains may include finances, threats to employment, social isolation or health strain. Thus, it becomes imperative to provide unrelenting support to the affected family and individual, to enable them to refocus and learn to manage new illness-related, task-oriented, and affective roles. This enhances the integrity and self-esteem of the patient and helps the family's adjustment to illness of a member. This paper outlines, the role of mental health professionals in providing counseling and psychoeducational approaches to helping patients and their families.