A young caregiver of a person with Parkinson’s Disease on adapting to a new role 

“As a caregiver of someone with Parkinson’s Disease (PD), you need to travel with them and be pa

“As a caregiver of someone with Parkinson’s Disease (PD), you need to travel with them and be patient,” says Varun (name changed), who for the last two years has been the primary care provider for his 70-year-old mother diagnosed with PD.

This is an unusual story from a family in Chennai where the lady is diagonised with Parkinson’s (research says that PD affects more men than women) and her son in his mid-30s is being a caregiver.

Varun was pursuing his doctorate in Australia when life took an unexpected turn – his mother was diagnosed with PD after she showed mild symptoms like shaking of the hand and difficulty in walking.

“A fall during the end of 2019 resulted in a fracture on her hip that aggravated her PD, putting her on bed rest for two months,” says Varun, who returned to the city to support his 76-year-old father taking care of his mother.

Everything was new for Varun — right from what is PD to the medical facilities in the country. “I was totally blank when I came here and was seeking help from everyone,” says Varun who came across Parivarthan for Parkinson’s Foundation, a support group for people with Parkinson’s.

As caregiver, Varun’s day starts when his mother wakes up. He and his father share various duties which include bathing, dressing, preparing food and helping the patient get some exercise. No two days are the same and one can never predict how the next day will be. “While some days she walks, some days mom cannot even get up from her bed,” he says.

Patients with PD have their ups and down and you need to try to find ways to keep them happy. “Mom likes to chant slokas or talk to relatives, so I make it a point to bring some cheer to her with these activities when she can. Because of the support group, she also does Warli art which is engaging,” he says.