Reply to Worried about my 70 yo single neighbor diagnosed with Parkinson’s

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[quote=Anonymous]Three older adults in my life have had Parkinson’s. You’re catastrophizing.

The disease takes different courses in different people. One relative of mine gets around fine, albeit slowly on her own two feet many years after diagnosis. Another relied on a walker. Some people will get dementia, others won’t. Some die from another cause before their disease progresses too far. Disabled people also learn to compensate for their disability. While they may feel grief around loss of function, they are still adults with agency.

It sounds like this is a new diagnosis. You have no way to know where your neighbor is on her journey to acceptance. You have no way to know what medical care she can afford, wants to make time for, and is willing to participate in. For example, PT can help, but plenty of Parkinson’s patients have an at-home exercise regimen that you would never witness unless you lived with them.

Learn appropriate boundaries. Let your neighbor process this life-altering news on her own. It’s not your job to solve her problems. And don’t assume you’d have to if you haven’t been asked. Even then, you can say “no,” with compassion. There are social workers, both independent and employed by health systems, who assist in navigating elder care.[/quote]

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