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Thanks for your insight. To give more of his condition: Brother has some form of dementia. Cannot walk on his on. May have had strokes in past 8 years. However, when he contracted pneumonia in March, 2002 and had to have PEG put in place he was walking with assistance. This is the amazing part. When he was home his wife would get him out of bed with his assistance and get him on his feet with his assistance and then walk him (like they were dancing) over to the STAIRCASE and help him walk down to the main floor. Then she would assist him to his chair in the living room. At night she would assist him (like dancing) to the staircase and he would go up on his own holding on to the banister (again without her help)! Then when he got to the top he would need assistance to get to his bed. This routine lasted about 3-4 years. Now his wife cannot assist him...and he cannot assist himself. He cannot talk and tell you what he wants...he and his wife just know what to do from living together so long. He can read and comprehend to some degree - it appears..and cannot write. When he does not get what he wants he lets you know by groaning or making a loud noise. His wife was taking him home on the weekends from the nursing home...but now it is more difficult since he cannot assist himself. When he went to the PD Dr in (April/May?) the Dr. had him stand on his own...and he did with difficulty. Now that ability is gone because he has not been doing this at the nursing home. He definitely cannot walk on his own-even with assistance....and he knows that and does not try. But with assistance he did walk back in March and April....we had fun walking together...and his wife was able to take him home. Now he is dead weight in transferring from his bed to the wheelchair to the car to the wheelchair to his living room chair to his bed. The reason he went to the nursing home was the aide that was assisting him at home could not give him the food through the PEG and the Dr. at the hospital recommended a nursing home. Larry ----- Original Message ----- From: <[log in to unmask]> To: <[log in to unmask]> Sent: Wednesday, September 18, 2002 9:16 AM Subject: Re: Physical Therapy > Larry, > Experience with my mother and several other elderly family members (and a > sister who is a physical therapist) is that "fixed" muscles/tendons in the > elderly are extremely difficult and painful to stretch.....and require > multiple daily exercises/therapy. Can this realistically be done with a > Parkinsons patient? On paper we can set many goals...but realistically what > is the expected outcome? > > > Some questions to ask yourself...... > a. Does your brother WANT to walk? > b. or do YOU want your brother to walk? > c. What will walking accomplish and add to his day? > d. Is he ever in a wheelchair? > e. Does HE complain that he is unable to move about? > f. How much is HE WILLING to ENDURE to try to walk? > g. WILL he be SAFE walking with impaired leg strength > conditioning....(which is not Parkinsons...i.e. contractures). Are you > risking a serious injury (hip, broken leg, concussion from hitting head > during a fall, broken arm?) > > and perhaps..... > a. What are your goals for your brother and What will they accomplish for > your brother? > b. What are your brother's goals? > > one medical professional asked my sister and I to carefully evaluate the > situation with our mother.........as WHAT do YOU want.....and WHY do you > want it..... > Do YOU need this goal or does your Mother > NEED this level? > it did help us to evaluate our strategy and expectations. > > Rita Weeks 58/12 > (Note: my mother was not PWP, I am. However, the contracture and failure to > walk are probably not completely PD related...these problems exist in many > patients with neurological as well as other physical problems.) > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] > In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn