<p>My mom’s Parkinson’s has advanced. She is basically disabled and wheelchair bound. Of course, we goto the specialists to get treatments. There are currently two problems and need your advice:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Dysphagia, she is on Thickened water. Without it, she would choke. So we have to order lots of them. The thikeners on the market I can find are: Homel “Thick and Easy” and “Thick It”, that is sold in all drug stores. We found “Thick it” is less desired, because it will dilute quicker and not as stable as “Thick and Easy”. So we have been concentrate on the Homel. Questions: Where I can buy bulk Homel “Thick and Easy” and is there a better product? Any home formulars that works? The best deal on line is the 4x 2.5lbs tube “Thick and Easy” for about $90.</p></li>
<li><p>Another Dysphagia related. How can we get her teeth cleaned by dentist? Even she is 85 she still has her own teeth and we are really worried about her dental care.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>My FIL had Parkinson’s for nearly 30 years, and swallowing did become a problem. Two things that helped: a weeklong stay in a rehabilitation hospital (not a nursing home; this was part of a real hospital) where he worked with a speech therapist or OT (I can’t remember which at this point) who specialized in swallowing issues. (This was far more intensive than the therapists who come to the house; he had to learn a lot about eating and drinking.) And, we had to learn more about what foods to prepare for him, and how to size pieces for him to eat. </p>
<p>Thank you so much, CC parents always come through. </p>
<p>We are fortunate to be able to have caregivers on 24/7 for mom. I have checked into the Mobil Dental servuce and hopefully they can take care of her dental hygiene, any more experiences with that kind of services?</p>
<p>With Dysphagia and advanced Parkinson’s, mom can barely feed herself and she is mostly spoon feed by the caregivers. So we really think dental care is probably out of the question, but we will try the Home Dentist route and hope for the best.</p>
<p>My dad just passed away a month ago from pancreatic cancer but had longstanding severe Parkinson’s also that caused choking. Couple helpful things:</p>
<p>1) a PT recommended mucinex to help relieve the throat clogging and it did help my dad.</p>
<p>2) Apple sauce in the little containers - for some reason he could easily swallow (well, relatively easily swallow) apple sauce. We used this to help him swallow his various med’s. Ice cream worked sometimes, too. </p>
<p>3) Salt seemed to exaccerbate the choking. Especially crystallized salt like on potato chips (which he loved and chowed down every afternoon with a glass of gin =) despite the ensuing choking festival 'till very nearly near the end when he just couldn’t eat much of anything).</p>
<p>4) An OT intensively trained him in swallowing techniques and it did help quite a bit. So I’m seconding the recommendation an above poster made re/ getting intensive OT or PT help.</p>
<p>5) Teeth: Salt water (warm) for swishing like mouthwash. Long rinsing of the mouth and then the cool fresh water to swish with after the salty water then is very soothing. Hospice gave us the spongy swabs that had minty stuff to ease dry mouth and help clean the mouth without the mess of toothpaste. But my dad had a rider and he would pull it right up to the bathroom sink and spend a good quarter hour just swishing and rinsing. He also had a mouthwash that I think was special for dry mouth (look carefully at the labels at CVS type store) and he would vary the salt water, fresh water, mouthwash etc. His teeth did suffer, tho; so it goes.</p>
<p>That’s about all for now. Love you and miss you Dad!</p>
<p>art, I think you’ve mentioned you are in the Bay Area. Stanford has an extensive Parkinson’s treatment program, including a support network. Google Stanford and Parkinson for lots of links.</p>
<p>We are using The Parkinson’s Institute in Sunnyvale, its a whole institute dealing nothing but Parkinson’s. We found a doctor that speaks my mom’s native language and we think it should be better for her to communicate concerns directly.</p>
<p>Regarding mouthwash, two weeks ago, mom was choked while swishing water after teeth brushing and had to take her to the emergency for congested hart failure, as a result, she was admitted for two days observation. Nothing major, but it was an intense moment at 10PM.</p>
<p>Artloversplus: Wow – finding a doc who speaks your mom’s language is huge. Kudos to you. One (minor) observation from past history with my FIL and my mom, who also had issues after a stroke: doctors often do not suggest some of the more specialized therapies for whatever reason, but are happy enough to write the order to get them if you ask. That’s what happened with FIL…they came out here for a visit – his last time traveling, sadly – and we saw the real difficulty he had eating and drinking. I don’t know whether he hadn’t told his doctor how severe the problem was, or whether it simply hadn’t been discussed because the doctor never saw him drinking, but we were shocked, and started making calls to figure out what might help. His doctor was happy to sign the order once we’d done the footwork. (And this doc was affiliated with a major research medical school.) Similarly with transferring, which became really hard after the Parkinson’s advanced more. A PT (or OT, again, I’m blanking) needed to train him and his caregivers on safe transfer methods, safe bathing, and later, on finding clothing that he could be dressed in without too much difficulty. The help was available, but none of this was suggested by either FIL’s or MIL’s doctors, who were much more attuned to the various diagnostic/pharma/surgical interventions. YMMV.</p>
<p>Hugchek…I’m sorry for the loss of your dad. It probably makes it a very bittersweet holiday season this year.</p>
<p>Thanks Art and Arabrab. Glad he’s out of pain and a used up body. Glad to have personal conviction that he is still present on a different plane and in a better place. Happy to have had his example: he lived for around a decade with Parkinson’s and never ever issued a wo is me and was always patient as could be as he slowly moved his failing body. Honored to have had him as a father. Truly - tho difficult, it is an honor to care for an elder.</p>