Family and partnership

Parkinson's disease affects not only the person diagnosed with it, but also impacts the whole family. Having a loved one who is diagnosed with Parkinson's is a shock and it can take time for others to come to terms with the changed situation. In addition to the physical symptoms, psychological changes (including anxiety and depression) can put stress on relationships with family and friends.

Parkinson's disease is usually a slowly progressive disease, which will give you and your family time to get used to living with the disease. In the advanced stages of the disease it is likely that you will need more help with everyday life, but the goal is to maintain your independence for as long as possible, even if this means that normal everyday activities can take longer. If help is needed, it can vary in size and scope.

The need for support changes over the course of disease and can even vary during the day depending on how well the medication is working at a given time. For the caregiver, this means remaining alert and still trusting their loved one despite the illness: the longer the person concerned manages to live as independently as possible, the more positively this affects the quality of life of all those involved.

For most relatives it is important to support the affected person in the best possible way. Make sure that they too understand it and are aware about how you feel about it. Being honest about how you’re feeling by sharing your fears, doubts and concerns will allow your family and friends to help you where they can in the best way possible.