#12 Leadership in caregiving for a loved one with Parkinson's Disease (interview with caregiver Anka)

One of the many challenges in caregiving for a loved one with Parkinson's disease is assuming a new role in the relationship and family. Many of us caregivers may not have been the leader of the family especially related to making decisions, handling the family finances, and even taking care of our family member. Parkinson's disease will progress to a point where an individual will have great difficulty maintaining this leadership role and will now depend upon a caregiver for everything. 

Anka has been caring for her husband with Parkinson's disease for over 13 years. Her role in the family has changed and she is now the leader of the family . She manages everything including her husbands health needs, medications, therapy, and transportation. She takes care of him alone at home and only recently hired help a few hours a week to help her with some of the lifting tasks that are difficult for her to complete. 

Anka shares her personal journey as a caregiver. She offers great wisdom and advice for all of us.  I think you will enjoy her interview. We appreciate the time she gave to this podcast episode and for all of the support she provides to the Parkinson community in our area. 

The Parkinson's Disease Caring Podcast is produced and hosted by Dr. Kevin Klos. Please visit www.pdcaring.com for more resources and information.