A new report calls on clinicians, other healthcare workers and loved ones to provide better awareness of and care for people with Parkinson’s disease who have difficulty swallowing. The need is critical, especially if the patient isn’t receiving constant care like they would in an assisted living community or nursing home.
Annie Brooks, director of strategic initiatives at the Parkinson’s Foundation, said the consequences can be deadly. A patient’s loved ones need to be upfront with doctors about the patient’s needs.
The report, which was published in Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience on Oct. 9, details a case study about a man with Parkinson’s disease who had dysphagia, or trouble swallowing. He fell and went to the hospital, and the caregiver had a hard time educating the staff on how to care for him. The staff wound up withholding his medications because they weren’t sure how to administer them.
Dysphagia is a common problem for people who have Parkinson’s disease. It can lead to concerns about choking and pneumonia, but it can also make something simple like taking medication hard, Brooks said. That’s why clinicians need to make caregivers aware — especially if the patient doesn’t receive round-the-clock care as was the case with the man in the case study.
“Care partners are essential as advocates during hospitalization and should be acknowledged as an important member of the care team. Without staff respect for care partner input, however, the success of advocacy is limited,” Brooks said. “It is important for hospitals to adopt standard protocols that honor the care partner role and create opportunities for their input on the care being provided.”
“Bringing a care partner to the hospital who can advocate for one’s needs is critical for people with [Parkinson’s] because staff may not fully understand [Parkinson’s] or know how to properly manage a patient’s [Parkinson’s] symptoms, including those related to swallowing,” Brooks said.
Brooks would like to see standardized protocols to screen for dysphagia implemented at hospitals and healthcare facilities. These guidelines should minimize the risk of aspiration, such as making sure patients are upright when eating. Protocols should also be in place to show how to give medication to someone with dysphagia.
