Changing perceptions of womanhood: living with Parkinson's Disease☆
Section snippets
Introduction and background
Parkinson's Disease is a degenerative neurological condition characterised by slowness of movement, rigidity, abnormalities of posture and tremor of the limbs whilst at rest (Bulpitt et al., 1985). These symptoms frequently give rise to chronic health problems, which require affected individuals to make many adjustments to their lifestyles. Until recently, the condition was commonly regarded as a disease of the elderly. However, in the UK, Parkinson's Disease is estimated to affect 1 in 500
Results and discussion
Because this study concerns women with a chronic illness, it is not surprising that almost all women in the study expressed concern or difficulties with their health. However, according to Madjar (1992a) there are many people who have chronic illnesses but who may consider themselves healthy. Boddy and Rice's (1992) framework of intrapersonal, interpersonal, extrapersonal and metapersonal health is thus used as a template to explore the qualitative data in more depth. All participants used a
Conclusions, limitations and recommendations
This study has illustrated some of the fears and contradictions of the 19 participants in this study all of whom experienced the onset of Parkinson's Disease at a relatively young age. We have collected a wealth of information from the women and have begun to understand issues and identify patterns from these women's experiences. However we do not feel that our work is complete. By this we mean that we have gained a degree of insight into the problem but still have much to learn from the women.
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Cited by (28)
Real-life consequences of cognitive dysfunction in Parkinson's disease
2022, Progress in Brain ResearchCitation Excerpt :Motor and non-motor symptoms both drive caregiver strain (Klietz et al., 2020) and cognitive impairment is particularly important (Corallo et al., 2017; Estrada-Bellmann et al., 2016; Hermanowicz et al., 2019; Lawson et al., 2016, 2017; Shin et al., 2012; Thommessen et al., 2002). Early in disease, couples may have a heightened sense of commitment (Fleming et al., 2004) or derive meaning from their role as caregivers (Warren and Sakellariou, 2020). The onset of cognitive features, however, drives lower relationship satisfaction (Karlstedt et al., 2017) and feelings of frustration, guilt, and resentment (Vatter et al., 2018).
Sex Differences in the Clinical Progression of Parkinson's Disease
2016, JOGNN - Journal of Obstetric, Gynecologic, and Neonatal NursingCitation Excerpt :In England, investigators examined the effect of community-based nurse specialists on health outcomes in PD and found that the involvement of nurse specialists had a positive effect on patients' sense of well-being (Jarman, Hurwitz, Cook, Bajekal, & Lee 2002). Similarly, in a qualitative study of 19 women with PD, particular note was made of the benefits of a nurse who specializes in PD to provide additional support and reduce feelings of isolation (Fleming, Tolson, & Schartau, 2004). Given the complexity of PD motor and nonmotor symptoms and the disease’s chronic, progressive course, there is a growing need for nurses to act as case managers and lead a team of multidisciplinary providers (e.g., physician, social worker, physical therapist, speech therapist) in care coordination (van der Marck et al., 2009).
Factors related to functional independence in females with Parkinson's disease: A systematic review
2011, MaturitasCitation Excerpt :Reasons for this diversity have yet to be determined. Evidence suggests that clinical presentation of PD may differ between males and females [9]. Symptom expression differs between males and females with PD (Table 1).
Experiences and feelings of patients with Parkinson's
2020, Enfermeria ClinicaOn the Scent Trail: Arts-Informed Method Development to Support Perception and Expression of Olfactory Experiences in Aromatherapy of Women With Gynecological Cancers
2023, International Journal of Qualitative MethodsSelf-Image in Women with Parkinson's Disease
2023, Journal of Parkinson's Disease
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This study was supported by a grant from The Parkinson's Disease Society.