“Leaving this door partially open can be dangerous for me” my husband said as he entered the room, “I could easily walk into it.”  His words made me stop and think to myself how something so simple becomes a household hazard thanks to his diagnosis of PD. How often do I enter a room and leave the door ajar? What other things am I doing that could create a problem for my husband as he moves through our shared spaces?

Many of the things that I do during my day could create PD pitfalls. I always leave kitchen cupboard doors open when putting the dishes away and often leave the dishwasher door hanging open so my husband can add his dishes to the load. On laundry days, I stack 2-3 loads of laundry on the floor in our dining room. I am conscientious about putting things where they  belong, but there will be the occasional project that ends up in an unexpected place or furniture moved to accommodate something I am doing. Both of these can mean changes to our environment that could trip up my unsuspecting husband.  

We have worked together to build a home environment that is safe for both of us, I need to be aware that there may be additional factors that come into play. I know that his mobility can be challenging and requires all of his focus, I don’t want to add obstacles. I need to do my part to be vigilant in looking for potential problems as I move through my day so I can keep our future accident free.