Ageing with Parkinson’s: Identification of Personal Needs in the Northern Spanish Context

Abstract

As individuals diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease enter older age, the myriad challenges and complications associated with this condition tend to escalate. Hence, there is a critical necessity to comprehensively discern the perceived needs of these individuals, along with their proposed remedies and essential support requisites. Additionally, understanding the perspectives of their families becomes imperative to formulate tailored interventions aimed at enhancing their overall development, progression, and quality of life. The study’s main objective is to assess the perceived needs of individuals with PD and their family members, propose necessary solutions, and suggest future perspectives. The study encompassed a cohort of 268 participants, comprising 179 individuals diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease and 89 of their relatives. A meticulously designed structured interview instrument consisting of 93 items was employed to assess various domains encompassing perceived needs, institutional support mechanisms, essential solutions, and future anticipations. Results: Statistically significant differences were found in health resources, social services resources, obstacles, solutions, and future outlook, with higher mean values from the relatives. Conclusions: The results highlight the most concerning needs in this context. Specifically, those needs related to health resources, social services resources, and future outlook present the greatest differences between the two subsamples, with the family members perceiving more needs. This alignment extended to both the categorization of unmet needs and the requisite solutions envisioned to address them. Suggested improvements include a sociosanitary strategy, stakeholder involvement, and prioritizing flexible home assistance to support older individuals with PD and their families.