Parkinson’s disease – care and support
Our high-quality, affordable care for Parkinson’s gives you full control and choice with your care so it fits around your lifestyle, likes and dislikes.
What is Parkinson’s disease?
Parkinson’s disease is a progressive neurological condition in which parts of the brain become progressively damaged over many years. It affects one in every 500 people. That’s about 120,000 people in the UK.
Most people who get Parkinson’s are aged 50 or over, but younger people can get it too. One in 20 people with Parkinson’s is under the age of 40.
Symptoms of Parkinson’s disease
The three main symptoms of Parkinson’s disease are:
- Involuntary shaking of particular parts of the body (tremors)
- Slow movement
- Stiff and inflexible muscles
A person with Parkinson’s disease can also experience a wide range of other physical and psychological symptoms, including:
- Depression and anxiety
- Balance problems – this may increase the chance of a fall
- Loss of sense of smell
- Problems sleeping
- Memory problems
What causes Parkinson’s?
Parkinson’s is caused by a loss of nerve cells in the brain. This often results in slower movement, meaning it takes longer to do things. It is not known exactly what causes Parkinson’s, but it is thought to be a blend of both genetic and environmental factors.
Training our care staff
All our care and support staff complete the nationally recognised care certificate. Specific client needs-led training is taught by internal and external trainers and/or healthcare professionals.
We also have an internal ’Understanding Parkinson’s’ training programme.
Read about our care types
