DAY-TO-DAY DEMANDS OF PARKINSONS-DISEASE

This interpretive study explored the experience of having Parkinson's disease in middle life. The researcher examined the day-to-day demands experienced by 16 people (9 men and 7 women), ages 42-59 years, who h ad been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease for a range of 1-16 years. Demands directly attributable to the illness included acknowledging sy mptoms and seeking help, balancing emotional responses, dealing with a changing body, gaining formal and practical knowledge, and dealing wi th unpredictability The illness also created demands related to changi ng roles, sense of identity, and relationships. This study advances un derstanding of the difficulties and challenges experienced by those wh o live with Parkinson's disease and has implications for nursing pract ice with this population.