Parkinson’s Disease is a long haul. It has been defined as a marathon, not a sprint, because the progression is so slow and debilitating. When my husband encounters a challenge, I am tempted to look for a quick fix. Unfortunately, those fixes often don’t last. A better approach would be to look for a solution that works for him now and should still work later when his symptoms progress to a new level.

My husband’s tremors had progressed to the point that he couldn’t manage a knife while dining. I started preparing food differently, making sure that any vegetables or meats were cut into bite size pieces. Looking back, it would have been a better solution to purchase utensils that supported his independence and allowed him to cut his own food. The tools are out there, we just needed to make use of them. DBS surgery has eliminated most of the tremor and he is able to cut his own foods again, but we didn’t know that was a possibility at the time.

Looking at things differently often means bringing in a fresh set of eyes. We have an occupational therapist coming to our home next week to do a walk through with us. I am sure she will have suggestions on changes to our environment that will make aging in place easier for both of us. While I am looking forward to her input, it comes with a bit of trepidation. I know we need to be open to hearing what she has to say and then my husband and I can decide which changes to implement as we move forward together.