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Hello. I am Mike Handy. My father has had PD for some years, and though I'd been somewhat aware of it he's a very private person who shared very little. Until about 1990 he worked full time and had been a successful businessman. My brothers (4 of them) and my sister had noticed he was slipping, but he has been under the care of a nuerologist and a phychologist (for depression), so we had not been too concerned. Things got our attention as my mother started to show increasing signs or illness: loss of memory; lack of interest; irritability; fearfulness; yes, Alzheimer's. She has started taking the latest drug of choice (I forget the name), has some good days, some pretty horrible, but they're muddling along for the moment. They live in a fairly large split level house with my youngest brother who comes and goes often, mainly based on his ability to cope with the situation. They have taken to eating frozen, microwavable dinners when they run out of the food we take over. The house is getting a little less well kept each month. My sister and I have scouted around for living arragements (Washington, D.C. suburbs) which would provide good care for my mother and allow my father to have an apartment in the same complex. There are some which seem excellent to our inexperienced eyes, and our understanding of our father's finances leads us to believe he could afford the monthly fees. Of course, he has no desire to move out of the house; won't even look at the options. On a philosophical level I appreciate his point of view; on the practical level I hear my sister's concern that something bad is going to happen to one of them when our broher is not at home (e.g. she will wander out and become lost or he will fall down the steps). I don't expect any answers. This is life. But I've been impressed by the level of concern for one another I find in your messages to each other and I'd like to have your ideas. I don't care how you communicate. I might prefer the list on the theory it might generate additional ideas. I can be reached privately at [log in to unmask] Thanks, Mike Handy ([log in to unmask])