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Parkinson's advice/help/thoughts please
K&H
Posts: 3,368 ✭✭
So our neighbor and landlord has Parkinson's. He worked as a contractor and refurbished/built our whole house. He ran a business out of the garage of this house. But about three years ago his Parkinson's got really bad and he hasn't really truly worked since then. He still does stuff around each of our houses on a good day, but most days aren't good ones.
About a year and a half ago he messed up taking his meds and ended up in the hospital for several months. Then about nine months ago his meds started affecting his thinking and he ended up in the hosptial again for about six weeks. The doctors changed his meds and now he gets them from the pharmacy in packs that are already labeled when to take them. He does ok most of the time. He is married but his wife works long hours and from our outside perspective doesn't help much when she's home.
Last week he decided that he needed to do a huge house project. He had an old coworker come and help him build scaffolding around the front porch. They dug out the foundation and are doing some odd thing that I don't understand. Then he got a gigantic dumpster delivered and it's sitting in our parking spots so he can clean out his garages. Then, on top of all of that, which is ongoing, he's now decided that he needs to scrape and paint our front deck outer walls. So he's up on a ladder for hours at a time. Today he froze up four times and just now 11pm, we all had to go out to the front lawn to help him get up and moving again (his wife was no where to be found and when she finally came out she was pissed).
So, all this said... What can we do to help them? Either to help him realize that he needs to stop the work, or to help the wife take over? Or something! He has a home health aide who comes every other day or so to check on his meds for about half an hour. There's a dog walker who takes their (completely untrained 3yo) dog out for an hour each day. And a high school kid who walks the dog some afternoons. But he needs more care. More help.
Does anyone have any idea as to where or how to get him help?
About a year and a half ago he messed up taking his meds and ended up in the hospital for several months. Then about nine months ago his meds started affecting his thinking and he ended up in the hosptial again for about six weeks. The doctors changed his meds and now he gets them from the pharmacy in packs that are already labeled when to take them. He does ok most of the time. He is married but his wife works long hours and from our outside perspective doesn't help much when she's home.
Last week he decided that he needed to do a huge house project. He had an old coworker come and help him build scaffolding around the front porch. They dug out the foundation and are doing some odd thing that I don't understand. Then he got a gigantic dumpster delivered and it's sitting in our parking spots so he can clean out his garages. Then, on top of all of that, which is ongoing, he's now decided that he needs to scrape and paint our front deck outer walls. So he's up on a ladder for hours at a time. Today he froze up four times and just now 11pm, we all had to go out to the front lawn to help him get up and moving again (his wife was no where to be found and when she finally came out she was pissed).
So, all this said... What can we do to help them? Either to help him realize that he needs to stop the work, or to help the wife take over? Or something! He has a home health aide who comes every other day or so to check on his meds for about half an hour. There's a dog walker who takes their (completely untrained 3yo) dog out for an hour each day. And a high school kid who walks the dog some afternoons. But he needs more care. More help.
Does anyone have any idea as to where or how to get him help?
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Comments
He reminds me of my grandfather. My grandfather doesn't have Parkinson's, but he's 84 and constantly has a project going. It sounds like your landlord is a good man who wants to take care of the house, but how scary that his health is so bad!
What a hard position to be in, having to watch him deteriorate but being powerless to intervene. I hope that he (& his likely overwhelmed and/or depressed wife) can get some help.
Last night he asked me to pass something to him from my porch to his. He walked around to his porch and froze on the way there. The neighbor across the street had to get him going again. They've been friends for 30+ years, I'm thinking he might be a good one to have a serious talk.
Thanks for the thoughts and empathy.