References
Occupational therapy outcomes in patients with Parkinson's disease
Abstract
People living with this degenerative condition can benefit greatly from occupation therapy, explains Amelia Jackson. This therapy needs to be embedded in the treatment approach for all patients living with this condition, and practice nurses are well placed to direct care
This article considers whether occupational therapy can improve the treatment experience and quality of life for patients living with Parkinson's disease. It also discusses whether occupational therapy has a direct correlation with improved treatment outcomes. This article will examine how this treatment should be provided and what treatment provision is available. Published literature was used to gain evidence and the findings were that integrated occupational therapy can improve both quality of life and treatment outcomes with this patient population. This article emphasises the need for occupational therapy to be embedded in the treatment approach to address non-motor symptoms which have the greatest impact on patient-reported reduced quality of life.
Parkinson's disease is a chronic and progressive neurological condition with a higher prevalence of neuropsychiatric symptoms than in the general population. These symptoms include anxiety, depression, impulse control disorders, cognitive impairment, reduced sleep quality and apathy.
Despite the prevalence of these symptoms, treatment is primarily aimed at improving motor functions. However, it is the non-motor problems which have been shown to have the greatest impact on patient's quality of life. This includes falls, anxiety (a contributory factor in falls), depression and cognitive impairment, with depression being the most frequently identified factor in reduced quality of life (Schrag et al, 2000; 2001; Soh et al, 2011; Pontone et al, 2019; Weintraub and Mamikonyan, 2019). The coexistence of anxiety and chronic illness have been shown to lead to a substantially lower reported quality of life and an overall reduced health status, as well as an increased access to and reliance on healthcare services (DiMatteo et al, 2000).
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