According the National Parkinson Foundation, the average age of diagnosis for people with Parkinson's disease is 65. Certainly, a number of patients new to Parkinson's disease will no longer be working to earn a living. They may have graduated to "golden years" activities. However, if you are still making a living, a Parkinson's diagnosis does not immediately mean your ability to work is compromised. However, over time the condition erodes mental and physical abilities. Sooner or later people with Parkinson's reach a time when they are not satisfied with the contribution they make to their employer and the people they serve.
If you are working to raise a family (15 percent of people diagnosed are under 50 years of age), support children in college, or circumstances do not allow you the opportunity to retire, you may struggle to continue your work. In a recent study published in the journal Movement Disorders people living with Parkinson's were able to continue working, some of them part-time, for about five years on average. Only about 20 percent were able to work for 10 years. For many of the reasons that Patricia Lightner mentioned in yesterday's blog, it is hard to perform consistently at work, when you live with such a demanding and unpredictable condition.
Stress makes Parkinson's disease worse. It is fuel for the PD fire. So, when Parkinson's disease curtails abilities, and it gets harder to keep up at work, a vicious cycle develops. The stress of keeping up at work inflames the symptoms of PD, further impairing the ability to work. The additional effort and worry about the situation short-circuit talent, effort and ability yet again. Pretty soon many people find themselves emotionally and physically drained.
You and your doctor can work through a strategy that might work well for you. However, some suggestions we have learned from others about working with Parkinson's disease include:
- Explore reasonable accommodations with your employer
- Display a positive and professional attitude to your employer
- Consider working part time
- Be honest with yourself about the amount of work you can do, and new assignments you can assume
- Take early retirement
- Apply for disability
- Reduce stress. (Easier said than done. Parkinson's increases stress. It takes a real effort to actually manage it.)
