 |
 |
> > 1. Lack of knowledge of the disease by health care professionals, which care for the person with Parkinson's disease in Care facilities. > > > > 2. Unintentional abuse both by the health professionals and families providing care due to lack of education. I have posted on this problem before, Sandy. My husband has had PD for the past 24 years and has been hospitalized twice within the last year. I stayed by his bedside constantly - even in ICU and CCU (I'm an RN at the hospital where he was a patient so the staff was very indulgent). I have been a med-surg nurse for the past 37 years and can tell you that I have rarely cared for PD patients with complex drug regimens. Even though Parkinson's Disease is the most common neurological disease in the USA, few PD patients are on the kind of medication schedules that my husband has. That is why I stayed by his bedside during his hospitalization, and that is why the staff encouraged me to stay. In our Michigan, West Bloomfield PD support group, the topic of hospitalization and the lack of understanding on the part of the medical staff about PD is a regular topic. The reality is, we must advocate for ourselves. We must teach the hospital staff about the problems that may occur with improper medication administration. We must be firm when dealing with resident physicians who try to change drug regimens because they think no harm will occur, or don't understand how medication side effects can positively destroy the health of a PD patient. Finally, we must never take for granted that medical professionals will understand the unique physical and nutritional requirements of the PD patient. I can't tell you how many times I have had to call pharmacists in our hospital to inform them that Eldepryl cannot be given at 5 p.m. (or, even worse, 10 p.m), and that Sinemet should be given *before* meals on the medication schedule. It's an up-hill battle when a PD victim must be hospitalized. It is very important for caregivers to have enough self-assurance to challenge the system when they know that an incorrect medical regimen has been prescribed. -------- God bless Mary Ann Ryan (CG Jamie 64/24) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn