Health Over the past three years, I had noticed a significant decline in a close friend’s well-being as he generally showed deterioration in his speech, his gait and his strength. He began to take shorter shuffling steps when walking, his voice was quieter and I often had to have him repeat what he had said. Recently, he started using a walker because of the instability in his gait. He just seemed to be getting “older” faster than he should. Since he was a widower living alone, I raised my concerns with his daughter, who had also noticed these changes when she occasionally visited from another city. She attended the family doctor appointments with her father on several occasions. No specific diagnosis was determined and a referral was made to a “memory clinic,” but no appointment had been confirmed after several months. Even when obtained, the waiting time was expected to be a number of months away. As the 80-yearold living alone was a concern, home care was initiated – including physiotherapy and meals. He was given an emergency wrist monitor which would warn of any emergencies, including falls. Several weeks ago, he had a fall during the night. The alert bracelet functioned and he was taken to the emergency room, admitted, properly investigated and treated. Fortunately, he had no fractures, was seen promptly by a neurologist, put through various examinations and eventually diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. He is now in a rehab hospital receiving occupational and physiotherapy, as well as medicinal treatment. Parkinson’s disease is a neurological disorder mainly affecting persons over the age of 65. It is estimated that, worldwide, more than 10 million people are living with Parkinson’s disease, including more than a hundred thousand in Canada. It is twice as common in men and numbers are rising, in part because of the increase in the aged population. Notable persons diagnosed with the condition include Michael J. Fox, Muhammad Ali, Linda Ronstadt and Neil Diamond. Signs and symptoms begin with barely noticeable changes which may include slowness of gait and performance of daily movement in dressing, standing up and completing simple tasks. Writing often demonstrates small letters. Tremors can develop and worsen. Shuffling and shorter steps are common and balance may be a problem. Speech may be softened or flat and may show hesitation. There may be mood changes, anxiety and depression, as well as slowed thinking and memory. Parkinson’s disease is a progressive neurological condition characterized by the degeneration of nerve cells in the brain by Robert MacMillan MD Parkinson’s Disease 34 | www.snowbirds.org
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