Parkinson’s Disease

What is Parkinson’s Disease?

Approximately 1 in 500 people are affected by Parkinson's disease, so at any one time there are around 125-130,000 sufferers in the Britain. Symptoms of Parkinson's usually start to develop after the age of 50, although in around 5% the first problems occur before 40. It can affect either sex but men are slightly more likely to develop Parkinson's disease than women.

The four characteristic symptoms of Parkinson's disease are:

• Tremor: a particular sort of shaking which is worse when resting. Typically, there is a so-called ‘pill-rolling’ movement in the hands.
• Slow movement: (bradykinesia) – some people have difficulty starting to move i.e. ‘freezing’.
• Stiff muscles: sometimes referred to as ‘cogwheel rigidity’.
• Balance problems: (postural instability) – this may increase the chance of a fall.

Parkinson's disease can also be associated with other physical and psychological symptoms, including:

• depression and anxiety.
• loss of sense of smell (anosmia).
• problems sleeping (insomnia).
• memory problems.

The aim of treatment in Parkinson’s is to control the symptoms and if these are mild then treatment may not be necessary. However, if required the options include:

• Supportive therapies, such as physiotherapy Occupational therapy Speech and language therapy and Dietary advice.
• Medication - the main types of drugs are levodopa, dopamine agonists any monoamine oxidase-B inhibitors. Each patient will respond in a particular way and therefore the type and dose of the drugs will need to be closely supervised by the Clinical Nurse Specialists (CNS) and doctors.
• Surgery – a few patients may have excellent results following surgery, such as Deep Brain Stimulation.

How can we help at Fortuna?

Healthcare professionals (such as Doctors, Specialist Nurses, OTs and Physiotherapists) will always be of primary importance in the management of Parkinson’s.

However, at Fortuna Mobility we are able to offer practical solutions which may help with some of the worst symptoms. We have over 1,000 products available in the showroom with many more available by special order. Our experienced staff can help advise on products which may help you with particular problems. Every customer is different with their own particular needs, but examples of equipment that might be useful in Parkinson’s include:

On the Move

• Walking aids including Walking Sticks, Walking Frames and Rollators. In particular see our LaserCane, Walking Stick and U-Step Rollator which have been specifically designed for Parkinson’s, with the option of laser technology to help overcome ‘freezing’.
• Wheelchairs, from the simplest to the most sophisticated according to you needs.
• Scooters.  
• Stairlifts  or the StairSteady ("A Step Towards Independence").
• Sensors including the Frequency Precision Fall Alert.
• Exercise – it is important to keep moving and one option is Happylegs, our seated walking machine, which can be used even when sitting down.
• Miscellaneous Parkinson’s, like most causes of disability, may throw up problems you might never have thought of before. A good example is theft of Blue Badges, with stolen badges being sold for hundreds of pounds, so we sell a 'Blue Badge Protector' which makes theft more difficult. We have solutions to many practical problems, so call us to see if we can help.

LaserCane Walking Stick

Happy Legs

Gyenno Spoon

Portachair

At Home

• Kitchen equipment: we have a wide range of items which might be helpful in Parkinson’s, but our Gyenno Spoon has been designed to reduce the effect of tremor, making it easier for users to feed themselves without spilling their food.
• Specialist seating advice may be helpful in Parkinson’s. Depending on the severity of symptoms different options can be considered including the Bambach Saddle Seat, SitnStand, portable riser, domestic riser recliner chairs through to portachairs.
• Profiling beds, with motors to help sit up, can help. We have a wide range of options, right through to the sophisticated Theraposture Rotaflex bed, which you can see in our showroom.

Rental

In some situations, buying equipment might not be the best choice and we have wide range of rental equipment available. Although most people will rent for a few weeks or months, rentals can be as short as 2 days or can go on for years, if you find it easier to let us look after your long-term equipment needs.

Scenarios

To help our customers understand some of the issues involved in choosing the right equipment we’ve created a number of hypothetical Scenarios, based on our knowledge and experience. The following example is relevant to some people with Parkinson’s: A 71yr old man with Parkinson’s is finding it harder to walk due to ‘freezing’. Is there any equipment which might help?

Read Scenario

FAQs

However, even if you don’t feel that you need equipment at the moment, feel free to make an appointment to have a look around and chat with one of our advisors so you can get a feel of what’s available for people with Parkinson’s should it be needed.

Useful Links:

Parkinson’s UK 
A national charity providing support to people with Parkinson’s Disease and promoting research.

National Helpline: 0808 800 0303

Enfield Branch: Enfield Trinity Church Hall, Gentleman’s Row, Enfield

Barnet and Brent Branch:

Neurological Alliance 
Campaigning to improve the situation for people with neurological conditions

Age UK Enfield
Provide local support and advice

NHS Parkinson's Website

Parkinson's disease (Wikipedia)
For more information about Parkinson’s