Parkinsono liga ir neįgalumas

Parkinson‘s disease is a neurodegenerative disease, which damages the dopaminergic, cholinergic, serotonergic neurons and their interconnections. Diagnosis is clinical and based on the patient‘s complaints, medical history and data of clinical examination. It is a chronic, progressive disease, which sooner or later leads to disability. The study covered 121 person suffering from Parkinson‘s disease, 54 (44, 6%) men and 67 (55, 4%) women among them. The average age of patients was 67, 91 ± 10.98 (95% CI 65.10 - 70.73), males - 67.10 ± 17.11 (95% CI 62.77 - 71.44), 68.62 ± 10.76 for women (95% CI 64.74 - 72.50). We aimed to study the situation of persons suffering from Parkinson‘s disease, who are under complete or almost complete dependence, according to identification of special needs (care or nursing). As it was found, only half of patients: 16 ones (13.2%), with the condition assessed by Barthel Index as completely or almost completely dependent status, have identified specific needs - care. While the other 17 (14%) patients who were nailed to the bed, could not move at all, change in body position, even eat without help, had not been established nursing care. Some patients told that they did not even know about such a possibility, because nobody give them any informatic on about it. Since they can not walk, get to the clinic by themselves, a family doctor is called in to the house only if other conditions (fever or suspected infection) occure, nobody recommended them ask for special needs and care setting.