Episode 107: Advocating for a Safe Hospitalization

As most people with Parkinson’s disease (PD) and their care partners know, medication management is crucial for controlling PD symptoms. Given that many people need to take medication multiple times a day, “on time every time” becomes a way of life, regardless of where one is – at home, at work, visiting with friends, shopping, or traveling. Ironically, one of the most difficult places to get medications on your individual schedule is in the hospital. Hospitals have set times to dispense medications, so a hospitalized person with Parkinson’s or their care partner needs to impress upon the staff that Parkinson’s medicines have to be given on the patient’s schedule, not the hospital’s.

Rose Lang’s husband, John, fell and broke his hip, resulting in his transport to a local hospital and several hours in the emergency department. Fortunately, he brought some of his pills with him and took them while waiting to be admitted to a room in the hospital. But even then, Rose, a retired pharmacist, had to educate the medical and nursing staff about the need for John’s “pills on time, every time.” She is also a Parkinson’s Foundation Ambassador, so John arrived at the hospital with his Aware in Care kit, and Rose made ample use of the resources within the kit to inform and educate the hospital staff caring for her husband.

The Parkinson’s Foundation Hospital Safety Guide is the updated and improved version of the former Aware in Care Hospital Safety kit, which you’ll hear referenced in this episode. The Guide has new, vital information, based on research and feedback, prioritizing what is most important — staying safe and empowered when hospitalized with Parkinson’s.

To learn more about the updated Hospital Safety Guide, or for information about becoming a hospital safety focused Parkinson’s Foundation Ambassador, visit Parkinson.org/HospitalSafety.

Released: June 29, 2021
Updated: July 9, 2024