Around the home

Here are some helpful hints that may make living with Parkinson’s on a day-to-day basis easier.

General home hints

• Secure/tape down any loose rugs or carpets and use non-slip mats.
• Mark any steps that are not obvious with brightly coloured tape.
• Secure any loose electrical flexes or cords so that you do not trip on them.
• An electrician can move wall sockets to waist level to improve access.
• Rocker switches on lighting and touch sensitive switches are easier to use.
• Avoid glass furniture and glass doors where possible (or use with extreme caution) in case of falls.

Cleaning and laundry

• Try sitting down when you remove washing from your washing machine, or have the machine raised so that you don’t have to bend down.
• Use an ironing board that can be set at a low level so that you can sit to iron. A rail or handle within reach on which to rest hangars can be useful.
• A steam iron requires less effort than a non-steam iron.
• When using a mop to clean floors, make sure that you leave the floor to dry thoroughly before walking on it. Don’t fill your cleaning bucket more than half way.
• Don’t use wax to polish floors as this can make them very slippery.
• Use felt pads or adhesive rubber strips to protect you against any sharp corners on furniture.
• Keep cleaning products on all levels of the house to reduce the number of times you have to use the stairs.

Moving around the home

• If using a walking stick or cane, add velcro to the handle and on the front of chairs and furniture where you frequently rest it so that it is easily picked up again and does not fall.
• A wrist strap may also be added to a stick or cane to hang from your wrist when climbing stairs.
• Grab rails can be fitted to stairs or any other part of the house where stability and balance may be more tricky.
• A stair lift could be fitted if climbing or descending stairs is a problem.
• Use a chair that has good support, preferably with a straight back, high seat and armrests.
• Avoid cluttering rooms with unnecessary furniture as this makes it more difficult to safely move around.
• Falls can be reduced by placing frequently used objects between knee and shoulder level so that they are easy to pick up or access.
• As well as wheelchairs to aid mobility, cars can be modified to make it more disabled friendly – swivel seats are available to make it easier to get in and out.

For more information see sections on falls, gait and freezing.

Dressing

• Sit to dress your lower half, especially putting on trousers, socks and shoes.
• Experiment with other positions for dressing, for example lying down to put on trousers or underwear.
• Fiddly zips and buttons can be replaced with velcro for easy fastening
• Slip-on shoes, or shoes with ‘tongues’, zips or elasticated sides, are easiest to get on.
• Elastic shoelaces are much easier than conventional laces that may become untied.
• Keep long handled shoe-horns in areas where you often put on shoes or slippers.
• Front-fastening garments (bras, skirts, dresses) are easier than those that fasten at the back. Stretchy materials are also easier to get on and take off.
• A dressing stick and button hook can help with getting clothes on and fastening buttons.
• Use t-shirts and jumpers instead of shirts and blouses as much as possible if fastening buttons is a problem.
• Sock and stocking aids are available to help with putting these on and with removal.
• If you have difficulty getting your coat on, try sewing a loop with tape or ribbon inside the armhole you find hard to reach as this may make it easier to lift onto your shoulder.
• If you use a wheelchair try to have smooth materials to sit on, avoiding pleats that may cause pressure sores. Breathable fabrics such as cotton are also advisable to minimise the risk of sweating caused by the plastic seat of many wheelchairs.

Personal care

• If standing is hard, sit on a chair in front of the washbasin.
• A raised toilet seat may make it easier to get on and off the toilet.
• Long handled combs, brushes and sponges can be helpful.
• Electric toothbrushes require less movement so may be easier to use.
• If you have tremor in your arm, try tucking your elbow into your side when brushing teeth, putting on makeup, shaving etc, as this may reduce the shaking.
• A cordless razor can be simpler to use, and cuts are less likely.
• If getting in and out of the bath is difficult, a bath seat, grab handles or board fitted across the top of the tub will enable you to continue to bathe safely, or a hoist can also be fitted if required. Remember to use a non-slip mat.
• To avoid tripping, install a shower that doesn’t have any ledge to step over.
• Shower stools or chairs can be helpful, both fixed and on wheels.
• Pant clips can be used to keep underwear within reach when using the toilet (two clips are joined by a long piece of elastic, one end fastening to underwear and one to upper garments).
• Toilet surround rails are helpful for getting up and down from the toilet.
• Don’t use towel rails or soap dishes for support when getting up or down – they’re not stable.
• Replace any glass shower doors with shatterproof glass or plastic.
• Soap on a rope (or soap placed in an old stocking and tied to a grab bar by the basin) will stop it slipping onto the floor when wet.
• Taps with levers rather than twisting handles are easier to use.
• Don’t lock the bathroom door – use a reversible sign saying ‘vacant/occupied’ instead.
• A night-light in the hallway can make it safer to get to the bathroom during the night. If you are prone to falls, consider having a commode near your bed.

Coping strategies

Watch our Coping Strategies YouTube playlist for a series of tips and tricks created by people with Parkinson’s and their carers for various difficult moments in life.

Meal preparation and the kitchen

There’s lots of advice in our Diet and Nutrition section.

Sleep and bedtime

There’s lots of advice in our Sleep section.