Vaineta Valeikienė, Algirdas Juozulynas, Algirdas Venalis, Antanas Jurgelėnas, Dalia Stasytytė Bunevičienė
Abstract
Parkinson‘s disease is a neurodegenerative disease, whichdamages the dopaminergic, cholinergic, serotonergic neuronsand their interconnections. Diagnosis is clinical and based onthe patient‘s complaints, medical history and data of clinicalexamination. It is a chronic, progressive disease, which sooner orlater leads to disability. The study covered 121 person sufferingfrom Parkinson‘s disease, 54 (44, 6%) men and 67 (55, 4%) womenamong 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 tostudy the situation of persons suffering from Parkinson‘s disease,who are under complete or almost complete dependence, accordingto identification of special needs (care or nursing). As it was found,only half of patients: 16 ones (13.2%), with the condition assessedby Barthel Index as completely or almost completely dependentstatus, have identified specific needs – care. While the other 17(14%) patients who were nailed to the bed, could not move atall, change in body position, even eat without help, had not beenestablished nursing care. Some patients told that they did not evenknow about such a possibility, because nobody give them anyinformatic on about it. Since they can not walk, get to the clinicby themselves, a family doctor is called in to the house only ifother conditions (fever or suspected infection) occure, nobodyrecommended them ask for special needs and care setting.
Keyword(s): Parkinson‘s disease, stage of disease, disability
DOI: 10.5200/sm-hs.2015.009
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