A few years ago, my beloved dad was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease.
Parkinson‘s disease is a movement disorder of the nervous system that worsens over time. The nervous system is a complex network of nerve cells that controls various bodily functions, including movement.
Symptoms start slowly. The first symptom may be a barely noticeable tremor in just one hand or sometimes a foot or the jaw.
Tremors are also typical in Parkinson’s disease. However, the disorder may also cause stiffness, a slowing of movement, and trouble with balance, which increases the risk of falls.
My dad was admitted to the hospital on 12/23/24 and was transferred to a rehab facility near the first of January.
I visited my dad a lot when he was in the hospital, but initially I struggled to find the time to see him at the rehab. Now that the holidays are over, my work schedule has become even more hectic, but I am committed to spending as much time with him as possible.
There is comfort in know that he is getting the care needed, but seeing Parkinson’s doing its thing, and frustrated, honestly, that it’s 2025 and the cost for care and the services these diseases and illnesses require, and the inability to trust that an individual/human can afford the care that is needed, that overworked himself his entire life.
In January, my daughter Makensie posted a quote by Martin Luther King Jr. on MLK Day: “Of all the forms of inequality, injustice in health care is the most shocking and inhuman.”
My dad has decent insurance, and even though it is taking two to get him up and two to get him into bed when his body freezes and locks up while standing, he could be released soon if his insurance doesn’t want to pay. I fear that, based on what we have seen thus far from home health, my parents would have to pay out of pocket, potentially overpaying for underperformance.
However, I understand the services we need help with are the services that receive the least pay for their work.
Therefore, finding good help is very difficult. Thankfully, both of my uncles, my dad’s brothers, could not be more helpful. They and my mom stayed as much as they could by his side.
I am grateful to God for all of the help, love, and support for my dad as he enters the final stages of his journey.
