"Living independently with a long term condition"

Being diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease (PD) 5 years ago was a shock for me formerly known for my hyperactivity. But not nearly as much as losing my wife and soulmate of over 50 years to cancer 3 years later. People rally around initially, but it is your world that has turned upside-down, not theirs, and you soon adapt to a new normality.

I wish to continue to live in the house that my wife turned into a lovely home for some time yet, but my PD and other ravages of time such as osteoarthritis and lower back pain from general wear and tear slow me down and limit what I can do. And of course there is just me now to deal with the day to day necessities, as well as the slings and arrows, of modern life.

Family and friends provide great support, but they have their own lives to live. And sometimes you just need professional help with a sympathetic ear to provide good advice built on training and experience. There is no one size solution fits all, so home visits to provide some standard and some out of the box thinking is appreciated.

Thanks to some good joined-up thinking, the PD specialist conducting my last year’s annual review referred me to my local Integrated Community Team re my mobility issues. Evie was the first Senior Occupational Therapist to visit me. Evie is delightful lady who listened to my concerns, toured the house making safety observations and suggested exercise programs for me. She also sorted out a Blue Badge for me in next to no time after my own application was rejected and I had given up. I must confess I have been somewhat remiss in exercising regularly since the psychological pressure of the home visits stopped.

This year my PD specialist again referred me to the Community Team. I have just been visited by Marie (Senior Occupational Therapist). Marie is another delightfully friendly lady with lots of good suggestions, including reinstating the exercises or joining a local group. I will follow up on these and look forward to hopefully making progress before Marie’s next visit.

Thank you for an invaluable service!