Therapy for Parkinson’s disease has come a long way over the years. After the initial diagnosis, your aging loved one may participate in professional therapy sessions that help with maintaining his or her abilities. You can also plan therapeutic activities for your loved one to do at home with a caregiver or in a class. Here are some of the best activities you can plan for your loved one that he or she can successfully enjoy with Parkinson’s.
Playing a Percussion Instrument
Music therapy has long been used to help people with Parkinson’s maintain their abilities. Percussion instruments, such as drums and cymbals, are fairly simple for seniors with Parkinson’s to play, since most can be placed on the ground or a table. Your loved one can choose between using an open hand or a tool such as a drumstick to make the sounds. Keeping a rhythm can help your loved one retain the ability to start and maintain a series of movements, and it can also help with freezing.
Doing an Art Project
Seniors with Parkinson’s often experience a great deal of stress. The frustration your loved one feels as he or she faces decreasing abilities needs to be released. Art and other creative pursuits are known for being relaxing and promoting a sense of calm. Your loved one may also benefit from performing movements, such as making brush strokes on paper, that require developing sustained control over the muscles.
Caring for a loved one with Parkinson’s can be extremely challenging, and a compassionate professional caregiver can be a wonderful source of support. If your elderly loved one is living with a serious medical condition and needs help managing the tasks of daily living, reach out to Home Care Assistance, an in-home care agency you can trust. Our caregivers are available 24/7, there are no hidden fees in our contracts, and we offer a 100% satisfaction guarantee on all of our in-home care services.
Trying Brain Gym Exercises
Certain types of body movements activate specific parts of the brain. For instance, crossing one arm across the midline of the body not only requires coordination but also stimulates communication between both sides of the brain. Show your loved one how to do a few brain gym exercises, such as using the left hand to touch the right knee, which may preserve his or her cognitive and physical abilities. However, you do need to make sure a caregiver is available to assist so your loved one doesn’t fall or get hurt if he or she freezes or loses his or her balance.
Mobility issues in the advanced stages of Parkinson’s disease can make caring for aging adults increasingly challenging. If you’re the primary family caregiver for a senior loved one living in Richmond, live-in care is available if your loved one’s health has become too difficult to manage without professional expertise. At Home Care Assistance, we take measures to help seniors prevent illness and injury by assisting with exercise and mobility, preparing nutritious meals, helping with bathing and other personal hygiene tasks, and much more.
Dancing to Music
Parkinson’s disease attacks the ability to control muscle movements. Dancing is a therapeutic form of exercise that helps seniors focus on how they move their bodies. Your loved one can learn how to do solo dances such as line dancing or tap if he or she still feels confident in the ability to maintain balance. Alternatively, your loved one can take up ballroom dancing, which allows him or her to feel the support of the dancing partner. Dancing can also reduce symptoms such as tremors and unsteadiness.
Growing a Garden
Your loved one needs to feel a sense of purpose, and tending to plants makes it exciting to wake up and get started each day. Gardening is also a gentle form of exercise that can be adjusted to fit your loved one’s abilities. For instance, kneeling and bending over to care for plants keeps the muscles limber and increases balance. Your loved one can also boost his or her cognitive abilities by learning more about the plants he or she grows.
Many seniors in the early stages of Parkinson’s are able to live on their own, but they may need a bit of help with the everyday tasks of life, such as exercising and preparing nutritious meals. Aging adults who require assistance with the tasks of daily living can benefit from reliable elder care. Richmond, VA, families trust Home Care Assistance to provide the high-quality care their elderly loved ones need and deserve. Our caregivers are trained to help seniors prevent and manage serious illnesses and encourage them to make healthier decisions as they age. Call one of our friendly Care Managers today at (804) 207-4746 to learn more about our customized Parkinson’s care plans.