Introduction
The effects of living with Parkinson’s reach beyond the patient, and will affect the daily lives of family and friends too. How much you decide to tell those close to you, and how much you want to involve them in the early stages is a personal decision based on your relationships and how you think these people will react.
It is important to remember that you will have had Parkinson’s for some time before the moment of diagnosis and the rate at which it will progress is likely to be gradual, so day-to-day life with your partner and family will not change overnight. Good ongoing communication will be an important part of adapting to your new situation and it may be helpful if as a family you sometimes sit down together to chat about your evolving roles. Finding the right words can be difficult but it may help if you try to put yourself in the position of the person you are telling – what would you want to be told and how?
This section will hopefully give you some ideas on how to involve your loved-ones and highlight some of the ongoing issues you may need to address as a family.
