Most people have many good years after their diagnosis of Parkinson’s Disease (PD). However, it is wise to be aware of what may come so you can be prepared for the advanced symptoms of PD. The American Parkinson Disease Association (APDA) has a variety of resources to help you learn more about advanced PD. Pick and choose the topics of most interest or relevance to you – and process the informatison at your own pace.

Palliative Care for PD – Palliative care is a medical approach for those with complex illnesses, in which the focus is on maximizing quality of life. While it is not just for late-stage disease (it can actually be helpful at any time!) this approach does become more important as the disease advances. Learn more about palliative care, the difference between palliative care and hospice, and more.

Planning for the What Ifs – This introduction to the APDA’s nine-part blog series about advanced PD is a good starting point that sets the stage and provides some background for the upcoming posts about advanced PD. Some other posts in the series that might interest you are:

Mental Health Concerns: Psychosis & Behavior Issues – Learn about mental health issues like psychosis, hallucinations, and behavior issues along with medical and non-medical treatment approaches.

Planning for the Future – Despite the uncertainty of PD there are still things you can do to be prepared and plan ahead. We spoke to an expert who has spent her career working with those who are planning for the uncertain future.

Bowel and Bladder Issues – Learn more about urinary dysfunction, abdominal pain, and fecal incontinence. While not the most comfortable topic to discuss, it’s incredibly important to address these issues with your medical team as they may be able to be improved. They could also be signs of other underlying medical issues and should be addressed promptly.

Online training course – APDA recently created Taking Care of the Person with Advanced Parkinson’s Disease©, a specialized online training course to help those who care for people with PD – particularly home health aides, nursing home staff, and visiting nurses – better understand the symptoms and challenges that come with advanced PD and how to best manage them as the disease progresses.