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Six Tips for Managing Daily Life with Advancing Parkinson’s

🧠 What will you learn in this article?

This article explores practical strategies for adapting to Parkinson’s progression, as daily activities like movement, eating and sleep may may become more challenging. It highlights how: 

  • Staying proactive with care is essential: tracking symptoms and working with your care team to start rehabilitation therapies can help improve safety and quality of life. 
  • Tips for daily adjustments can reduce risk and frustration, from moving mindfully and timing activities with medications to improving home safety. 
  • Better sleep and building your support system can make daily life more manageable.
  • These tips and more can be found in the new Practical Pointers Guide.
Elderly couple enjoying coffee together at home

The course of Parkinson’s disease (PD) is different for everyone. However, as symptoms advance, managing routines and moving safely through your day can become more challenging. Care partners also find their roles evolving as the needs of their loved ones change. 

These useful tips found in our new Practical Pointers Guide can help you manage everyday movement, personal care and daily life with greater ease throughout your journey with Parkinson’s.

1. Stay on top of symptoms and seek support. 

Parkinson’s can cause movement symptoms, such as freezing — a temporary inability to move that can lead to accidents and falls — and non-movement symptoms, including difficulty swallowing and trouble with sleep. As PD progresses, symptoms may change or new symptoms may appear.

Keep track of your symptoms and talk to your doctor about adjusting medications if symptoms interfere with daily life. Taking the right dose of medication at the right time, every time, can reduce "off" time — when symptoms return between doses.

Working with your care team to add physical, occupational and speech therapies to your care can also keep you moving well. Expanding your support circle to include friends, family and the wider Parkinson’s community can increase well-being.

2. Move mindfully.

Parkinson’s changes the way you move, whether walking, standing or sitting. Trying to move too quickly, navigating through a cluttered space or doing too many things at once can increase the chance of a fall. 

To keep moving safely:

  • Adapt your home to your needs. Keep daily use items where you can easily reach them and use a Home Safety Checklist to keep your living space safe and accessible.
  • Avoid multitasking. Tackle activities one at a time. Distractions can cause accidents.
  • Work on  strength and balance. A physical therapist can help you build a personalized movement plan to improve your mobility. Check out our PD Health @ Home Balance & Strength Training for movements you can do at home.

3. Dress with care.

Getting dressed can take more time as Parkinson’s advances. To reduce frustration, lay out what you plan to wear in advance and dress when your medications are most effective. It can also be helpful to stretch first. 

Consider keeping clothes within easy reach and sitting down to get dressed. A sturdy chair with armrests can minimize your risk for falls while dressing or putting on socks and shoes.

4. Prioritize safety when bathing, grooming or using the toilet.

Slick or soapy surfaces and hard angles make the bathroom an unusually dangerous place for everyone. Parkinson’s can make washing, grooming and using the toilet even more risky. 

To help improve safety:

  • Use sturdy, stable handrails in your bathtub or shower stall for support getting in and out.
  • Keep floors dry, use non-slip mats and keep toiletries and towels within easy reach.
  • Have a medical alert device or cellphone within easy reach to call for help.
  • Add nightlights or motion lights to prevent falls during nighttime bathroom trips.

5. Use modifications to manage mealtimes and support safe swallowing.

Parkinson’s movement symptoms can make dining difficult. Tremors can complicate preparing and eating meals. Consider easy-grip utensils and a self-stabilizing or two-handled cup. These can help avoid spills and make dining easier.

Swallowing changes can increase discomfort when eating and drinking. To minimize choking risks while dining or swallowing pills:

  • Sit upright and take small bites, eating slowly and chewing thoroughly.
  • Eat during “on” times.
  • Select foods that are easier to handle.

  • Rinse and brush after each meal. This protects teeth and lowers lung

    infection risk for people with swallowing difficulties.

Swallowing risks can increase in the hospital due to changes in routines or medications. Order your free Hospital Safety Guide to advocate for your safety.

6. Prioritize good sleep.

When you live with Parkinson’s, good sleep is medicine. However, Parkinson’s can make you sleepy during the day, make it easier to wake up during the night and harder to stay asleep. Urges to move your legs at night or act out your dreams can further fragment sleep. 

Talk to your doctor about sleep changes and take steps at home to support deep sleep:

  • Make your bedroom a calm oasis — keep it cool and dark, turn off screens an hour before bed and choose a quiet activity. 
  • If a nap is necessary, keep it short and take it early in your day.
  • Smooth sheets such as satin can make it easier to move around in bed. Pillows can help elevate your upper body so it’s easier to push into sitting position and bed rails can help you turn or get out of bed.
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