Caring for a loved one with Parkinson’s disease can be a lot of hard labor wrapped up in extreme love for your loved one. As the disease progresses, Parkinson’s patients lose more control over certain physical functions of their bodies, and it can be difficult for them to manage to live on their own anymore without help from family or professional Parkinson’s care providers.

At that point, family members will often step in and assist them through their daily living activities. And while helping them through certain physical activities, such as getting dressed, bathing, and even eating, can be hard, not being able to communicate clearly can be one of the toughest challenges Parkinson’s patients and their caregivers face.

How Does Parkinson’s Disease Affect Speech

Parkinson’s disease affects many nerves and muscles of the body, and the nerves around the mouth and throat are often affected as well. It can make changes to a person’s ability to use their voice box, throat, respiratory functions, and even move their facial muscles to reflect how they are feeling (like smiling or frowning).

Voice changes often begin fairly early in the diagnosis. Some changes you might notice in your loved one’s speech could be:

• An inability to speak loudly. Your loved one may only be able to speak in a very soft voice, making projecting his voice difficult.
• His voice may change and become more raspy or hoarse.
• He might feel like he needs to frequently clear his throat due to excessive saliva that has built up in his mouth or throat.
• His speech can become unclear, and he may mumble as his tongue and lip muscles struggle to move as needed.
• He might have large gaps of silence when talking as he processes information and tries to communicate with you.
• He might also sometimes speak too fast and then stumble through the end of his sentence.

Four Tips to Improve Verbal Communication with Your Loved One

1. Remove background noises. Sometimes this might be as easy as turning off the TV, but it can also mean moving him to another area before beginning a conversation if the area you are in has a lot of background noise.
2. Keep the conversation focused and on point. Your loved one may struggle with trying to multitask while you’re talking, and you might be distracted and miss something he says quietly.
3. Sit face to face. Seeing his face can help you decipher some words, as well as help his voice project toward you.
4. Be patient. You might need to wait while he forms the words he wants to say. Don’t rush him or attempt to finish his sentences.

Getting Help from In-Home Parkinson’s Care Providers

You might find that as you care for all of your loved one’s needs, you need a bit of help with his care, but it can be scary to ask just anyone to help, knowing that your loved one has difficulty communicating his needs and preferences.

A trained in-home Parkinson’s care provider can support both you and your loved one by stepping in and assisting with the training and care that only in-home Parkinson’s care professionals have. Your loved one will appreciate having someone who has been trained on how to help him with his needs, and you’ll be assured that the care he receives is provided by a caring professional who puts his needs first and has the skills needed to communicate with him.

If you or an aging loved one is considering Parkinson’s Care in San Diego, CA, please contact the caring staff at Aaron Home Care. (619) 880-5522

A Trusted Home Care Agency Serving La Jolla, Pacific Beach, Point Loma, San Diego, UTC, La Mesa, Chula Vista, Coronado, Bonita, Eastlake, and the surrounding areas.

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Aaron Laney

President & Founder at Aaron Home Care

Aaron Laney truly has the heart and experience for the field of caregiving. He first began working with adults with disabilities in 1994 as a camp counselor in New York State, where he discovered that he had a talent for communicating with others who might not be able to care for themselves.

In 1999, Aaron was named Residential Program Manager of a group home for disabled adults in Arlington, Virgina. Here, he built a reputation for being compassionate with his clients and efficient in company operations. In the years that followed, Washington DC’s human services field went through unprecedented reform when the city was fined $11 million for the previously unchecked abuse, neglect, and exploitation of the very population it was supposed to protect. In 2005, Aaron was selected by a watchdog company to co-create and implement a monitoring system to safeguard and advocate for the system’s most vulnerable residents. This system is still in use today.

Aaron is now using his unique gifts and profound experience in the human service field to provide San Diego County Seniors with dependable, compassionate caregivers through Aaron Home Care.

He currently serves on the board of the San Diego Regional Home Care Council and is an active member of the Senior Advocate Network of San Diego.

Aaron Home Care is a member of the American Board of Home Care and is accredited by the Better Business Bureau.

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