Parkinson's Disease: A Guide to Patient Care [Paperback]

Dr. Paul Tuite MD (Author), Cathi Thomas RN MS (Author), Dr. Laura Ruekert PharmD RPh (Author), Dr. Hubert Fernandez MD (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 082612268X | ISBN-13: 978-0826122681 | Publication Date: March 23, 2009 | Edition: 1

"As a quick, user-friendly reference, this book covers all aspects of effectively managing patients with Parkinson's disease, with discussions of symptoms, causes, patient evaluation, and home care advice .Nurses, physicians, and associated healthcare professions from rehabilitation specialists to social workers will find this an excellent source of information on the many aspects of care of Parkinson's disease patients."

--Doody's

This book serves as a practical compendium on the management issues related to Parkinson's disease (PD). As a quick, user-friendly reference, the book covers all aspects of effectively managing PD, with discussions of symptoms, causes of PD, patient evaluation, and home care advice.

Conveniently organized in bullet-point, encyclopedic format, Parkinson's Disease is the comprehensive, one-stop reference for health professionals treating patients with PD.

Four key sections:

• Problems presents guidelines on addressing complications that occur during the disease process, including anxiety, hallucinations, depression, vision problems, and more
• Evaluation discusses the numerous patient evaluations required throughout the duration of the illness, such as genetic testing, brain imaging, speech and swallowing evaluation, and more
• Treatment presents both pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatment approaches for patients with PD
• Appendices include supplemental reading, medication tools and assessment scales, rating scales, and additional notes

Nurses, doctors, and associated health care professionals--from rehabilitation specialists to social workers--will find Parkinson's Disease the one reference they cannot do without.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Paul J. Tuite, MD is an Associate Professor of Neurology, Director of the Movement Disorders Program at the University of Minnesota. He received his medical degree from Indiana University and completed neurology residency at McGill University. Additional training included a postgraduate fellowship in clinical EMG at McGill University and a neurophysiology and movement Disorders fellowship at the University of Toronto. Since his arrival at Minnesota in 1996, Dr. Tuite has conducted over 30 clinical trials for Parkinson's disease (PD). His primary areas of research have related to MRI imaging in PD as well as the assessment movement in PD with the goal of advancing movement related physical therapies for patients.

Hubert H. Fernandez, MD, is Associate Professor of Neurology, Director of Clinical Trials for Movement Disorders, Co-Director of the Movement Disorders Program, and Program Director of the Neurology Residency Training Program and Movement Disorders Fellowship Training Program, all at the University of Florida. He received his medical degree in the Philippines, and completed his neurology residency at Boston University and a postgraduate fellowship in movement disorders at Brown University.

Cathi A. Thomas RN, MS is an Assistant Clinical Professor of Neurology and is Program Director of Parkinson's Disease and Movement Disorder Center at Boston University Medical Center. She is the Coordinator of the American Parkinson Disease Association Information and Referral Center at Boston University Medical Center and is a member of the Parkinson Study Group. During the past twenty-five years Ms. Thomas has provided care to individuals with Parkinson's disease and their families. As a Clinical Nurse Specialist in neurorehabilitation, she has developed programs to assess the impact of Parkinson's disease on a patient and family and to assist them in coping with this condition.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Springer Publishing Company; 1 edition (March 23, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 082612268X
• ISBN-13: 978-0826122681
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,860,201 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Navigating a Complex Illness, January 11, 2010

By 

Jewell O. Mohn - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Parkinson's Disease: A Guide to Patient Care (Paperback)

Parkinson's Disease patients might ironically refer to their ailment as "the gift that keeps on giving." They live in a constant struggle to navigate the complexities of a chronic condition that presents an ever-changing landscape of physical and mental symptoms, treatment side-effects and societal perceptions that can sometimes feel like a game of "Whack-a-Mole" for patients, caregivers and clinicians. Now four experts in the treatment of Parkinson's have collaborated on a comprehensive road map for health professionals, "Parkinson's Disease - A Guide to Patient Care."

This book, with an emphasis on substance over style, is constructed as a systematic reference manual designed to help medical professionals maintain an optimal balance among all the various opposing forces faced by their Parkinson's patients. The format is essentially an organized set of lists, detailing characteristics of the disease itself, its impact on the daily lives of people who live with it, and the overlapping array of technical and practical interventions available to the medical professionals who confront it. Each chapter is comprised of concise, readily-referenced bullet points of information essential to the development and evolution of complex treatment plans required for effective management of this frustratingly complex illness. Redundancies abound, since each element is interconnected, and each issue encountered must be weighed and considered against the particular pattern of symptoms presented by the patient, each as individual as they are.

There is an obvious tendency for this type of "technical manual" to become cold and clinical, but threading through this volume is a distinct undercurrent of compassion and encouragement for Parkinson's patients and those close to them. It is this fundamental thoughtfulness and humility that distinguish the book, challenging health professionals to use their mole-whacking abilities to give their patients one more gift--that of hope.