How can I help myself?

Speech

• If you are in a situation where you find communication difficult, as hard as it may be, try to remain as calm and relaxed - stress will only make your symptoms worse
• Make sure you are sitting or standing comfortably, in as upright a position as possible. Voice quality can be affected by the stooped posture often associated with Parkinson’s
• Keep your sentences short and enunciate clearly. This may take practice
• If someone doesn’t understand you, think of an alternative way to communicate what you are trying to say, rather than endlessly repeating yourself
• Don’t talk over noise
• Don’t try to talk to someone in another room to you
• Imagine that you are in a bigger room than you really are as this will make you speak louder
• There are various gadgets and adapted telephones that make talking on the phone easier – the speech and language therapist or occupational therapist can advise further
• Some Parkinson’s organisations, such as the Parkinson’s Disease Society of the UK, publish small cards containing messages about Parkinson’s, which you can carry in your purse or wallet to use if you are unable to communicate when you are out. Contact the Parkinson's Disease Society for an Alert card
• The EPDA have an online PD Doc http://www.epda.eu.com/projects/PDdoc that can be personalised before printing out. The information within the PD Doc has been translated into 25 languages that can also be included in the printout - useful for when you are travelling abroad.

Handwriting

• Try using a tape recorder if your speech is unaffected. A tape recorder will put into words things you want to write, or you may find a computer helpful
• Pick a time of the day when you are ‘on’ and symptoms are most controlled. This will reduce the effects of the three main Parkinson's symptoms - tremor, rigidity and bradykinesia (slowness of movement) - that make writing tricky. This may not always be practical or possible, but writing can prove far less frustrating if timed well
• It may also help to stop writing after each line and then relax, breathe deeply and stretch the arms widely before continuing
• Signing cheques or other documents may be frustrating when your signature is not consistent. Talk to your bank in case they have a solution. If you do have to write a cheque, it is worth asking the bank or shopkeeper to fill in the details so all you have to do is sign. You can also shorten your signature so that it is easier to write – but make sure your amended signature is the one registered with your bank. In some instances carrying a form of identification with a photo, such as a passport, can be useful, or some banks may be able to issue a bank card with photo. In some countries rubber stamp signatures are acceptable, but this is not the case everywhere.