My dad hates the fact that he needs help, and I try very hard to be understanding of it all. He is used to being very independent, but now lives in an Assisted Living Facility and has had a lot of problems. He is very weak in his legs and falls a lot. He now has aides during the day to help him and the assisted living handles his medications. They now have said he should not use a rolling walker because he pushes it too far from front of him and leans halfway over because his walking is not good. He is now using a wheelchair and a regular walker, which he is angry about. I do sympathize with him, and I want to try and help him live a good life, but I also have been the one getting calls in the middle of the night or going to the hospital once a week. Even his doctors don't feel he is safe independently.
He has not been diagnosed with dementia, but I do see beginning signs. I don't want to make him feel like an invalid or take away his sense of independence, but I also want him safe and he needs to understand how he is acting. Instead of enjoying life, he just hates everything and attacks everyone.
About the walker issue. Does your dad receive physical or occupational therapy? That might help. My aunt had Parkinson’s for years. She did the Rock Steady program for Parkinson’s and it was helpful.
It will be difficult for drugs to “change” your dads personality but might take the edge off.
Would he be able to see a talk therapist? He has a lot to manage. I’m sorry.
Maybe Dads doctor needs to have a good talk with him. That by allowing himself to fall, he could break a hip, his femur and cause a whole series of other problems which would mean care in a NH. ALs are limited in the care they can give. Maybe time for a wheelchair.
I agree that maybe getting an order from his doctor for "in home" therapy would be a good idea. The therapist can then evaluate him. Rollators are not good for everyone.
Nobody can give you right or wrong answer. PD is complicated and frustrating for family members/ caregivers.
Almost weekly, as it is in case of my husband with advancing PD, things change, but sometimes it gets better.
My husband is not falling, but realistically I know it could happen, no matter what. He uses walker and sometimes does the same as your Dad, especially walking from different surface like carpet to hardwood and vice versa, there is methods to overcome that, ask PT as your father situation could be different. One thing about PD almost everybody is different, is it due to meds, physical or mental state, nobody gives you right answer, if any at all. My husband is working on prevention of falls and muscle building with therapist and results are sometimes amazing, he can walk on his own at times, does treadmill or stationery bike, he works hard on keeping his muscles strong, he is encouraged by different professionals to be as independent as possible.
His neurologist adjusts his meds often because as much as they help, wrong dosage or timing is also a factor that works against improvement.
Sorry to hear your father is stubborn, but try to understand his independence is important to him. I am strong proponent of having anything resembling normal life. I, as much as I try to understand this disease, cannot imagine most of it, there is no trajectory or much help with later stages of it and very little has been done to help people understand advanced PD as experts say many people do not reach last stage as they die of falls or aspiration, very sad but true for about 70%.
I am optimistic person believing my husband can stay strong, but being pragmatic as well, seeing set backs, I have to accept how fast this disease could progress.
My husband joined a PD group in this area, he is on waiting list for going to daily sessions to start with one day and maybe increasing to 3 days weekly, I think it will be helpful for him to socialize and have activities, exercises geared towards some of symptoms, engaging him for five hours.
The more he gets involved socially etc. the better his quality of life is, then again week after could be too much pain and if strong meds are required he will be sleeping mostly. Like I said unpredictable and frustrating.