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PD SEXUAL SUIT DROPPED A former member of our support group and his caregiver wife were sued for many thousands of dollars by a nurse who came into their home to help care for the PD patient husband. The nurse claimed that she was sexually abused by the patient and that the caregiver wife wrongfully discharged her when she threatened to bring suit against the PD patient husband. According to the suit, he held onto inappropriate parts of her body when being assisted and made sexually aggressive remarks to her. The patient was in his 70's and unable to stand alone at the time the alleged improper touching incidents occurred. He had been treated for Parkinson's for many years. His daily intake of PD medications was and still is horrendous. To get some relief from his PD, he was and still is taking nineteen to twenty Sinemet tablets of various strengths daily plus a heavy dose of agonists. At first their homeowner insurance company refused to provide coverage for this suit or provide any legal defense for their policyholder. The policy was several years old and contained wording slightly different from the current policy forms. The current policy forms exclude under the personal liability portion of the policy bodily injury or property damage which is expected or intended by the insured. The homeowner insurance company agreed to defend after it was pointed out to them in a threatened lawsuit that a possible side effect of Sinemet is, according to the Nursing93 Drug Handbook and later editions published by Springhouse Corporation, "excessive and inappropriate sexual behavior, priapism." The insurance company agreed to cover the liability of their policyholders, but they refused to pay the supposedly injured nurse. Citing the entry in the Nursing Drug Handbook, the insurance company said that a person who holds herself out as a professional nurse should be aware or make herself aware of possible or likely side effects of medications given to patients, particularly patients for whom they are specifically hired to care for. Faced with an insurance company who would fight the case, the nurse withdrew her lawsuit. from PARKINSON'S NEWSLETTER of the Delmarva Chapter, APDA Will Johnnston A.P.D.A. DelMarVA Chapter Pres. 4049 Oakland School Road Salisbury MD 21804 USA 410-543-0110