My 70 year old Dad has Parkinsons. It has not been a rapid progression, but is progressing.

In your mil's case, I wonder if some of the parkinson's issues are causing her issues, not so much a rapid progression. Meaning, things like her meds and sleep patterns. I know my dad has had issues with sleep, and issues with meds that are supposed to help. Lack of good sleep can make anyone less mentally sharp.

Also, excersize/physical therapy. My dad has to keep moving, to keep moving. Balance therapy, walking, excersizes...he has to do that and it sounds like your mil may not be.

He also plays computer games designed to keep his mind sharp. Oh and he started acupuncture recently and seems to be moving around easier.

Is she seeing a doctor/specialist who is managing the Parkinsons? My dad has several docs on his 'team'. All of them need to know what is going on with him so they don't cross meds (like give something that could interact with what another doc gave).

I'm sorry OP. I'm scared for the future, I worry if he falls he won't get mobile again and then he can't live at his house (accessibility issues) and what will my mom do.

She will require help fairly soon. Dont wait until there is a crisis. The first few years of Parkinsons are problematic but the symptoms progress rapidly after that. Also...at some point you will see cognitive issues as well.

Exercise

To start my mother died when I was young and all my grandparents died either before I was born or when I was a teen. My father is still alive and while I always think of him as old (now 78) I think my MIL is aging very quickly. She is now 75 and up until last year she seemed really good. Never very active but could get around, driving, lived with my FIL in the house they have always owned. Last year she had a bad fall and broker her shoulder which required surgery. In the follow up she was diagnosed with Parkinson's. The rattled her a bit but the doctor assured her she would die with Parkinson's not from Parkinson's. We were with her a lot this summer but haven't seen her since August. They are here for Christmas and I am alarmed by her decline. She can't get around very easily, needed a wheelchair in the airport, mentally missing a lot, etc. My DH says it is just her getting old. My FIL says the same thing. Not that there is much you can do about it but I have no idea if this is typical aging or the Parkinson's. All 4 of my DH's grandparents lived well into their 80s so he seems more familiar with it then I am. But I find it very sudden and scary. Is this who Parkinson's is?