Although it is true that fatigue is a common and often
under - estimated symptom of Parkinson’s, it is also important that your husband
keeps as active and involved in things as possible. If he becomes more
dependent on you than is necessary, he will tend to feel helpless and bored,
will have fewer topics to talk about and may become more liable to depression. In addition, you will
become more tied to the house and less able to keep up your own activities and interests,
so both of you will suffer. We would also suggest that your husband discusses
the tiredness with his doctor or nurse specialist who might be able to advise further.
Tiredness can also sometimes be the symptom of other health
problems, including depression which is common in Parkinson’s, so it is
important to check. One possible solution is to encourage your husband to pace
himself, doing things for himself at times when he is at his best and taking rests
as necessary. If he rests too much during the day, his sleep at night may be
affected, thereby creating another problem.
One of the big difficulties for relatives of people with
Parkinson’s is knowing when to encourage them to do things for themselves and how
to recognise the times when this is not possible. As abilities can vary from
day to day – and even from hour to hour – this is not easy and requires great
patience and sensitivity. Try to get other family members to understand how to keep this balance too. Don’t
be too discouraged if you don’t always get it right. It is difficult and people don’t become saints just because they or
their spouses develop Parkinson’s!
