Caregiver Training Blog

During the late 1950’s and early 1960’s when people talked about family dynamics it would probably have conjured up images of “Father Knows Best” or  “Leave it to Beaver” where everyone got along or any problems they had were magically resolved within the 30-minute time slot. Not so today! Family dynamics are so very complicated that it probably has some folks thinking a trip to the nostalgic days of the syrupy sitcoms wouldn’t be so bad!

Diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 1998, actor Michael J. Fox perhaps best captured the dramatic impact it can have when he said, "Parkinson's forced me to make a fundamental life decision: adopt a siege mentality—or embark upon a life journey."  Mr. Fox is probably one of the best-known advocates for finding a cure for this debilitating disease and has brought national attention and raised the kind of awareness that sometimes only a celebrity can create. There are some startling statistics from the Parkinson’s disease Foundation:

I cannot --- or maybe I am not --- willing to believe I am the only person who goes into the drug store to purchase an over-the-counter medication and feels overwhelmed by the choices.  Not only am I overwhelmed, but sometimes it is actually scary.  I read articles in the paper about how too much of one med can damage my liver, vitamins may hurt absorption of certain medications, aspirin taken with blood thinners can cause me to hemorrhage.  Geez, sometimes I think I need to take a pharmacist with me to select my cough medicine.  By the way, the pharmacy in the store always seems to be closed when I need to ask my questions.