Meanings of Fatigue for Women With Parkinson’s Disease

Abstract

The existing knowledge of women’s experiences of living with Parkinson’s disease and fatigue is limited. To gain first-hand knowledge, we interviewed 11 women using a phenomenological hermeneutic interpretation. The results indicate that the familiar daily routines of women with Parkinson’s disease had changed in the sense that their bodily attachment to the world had been altered. The body no longer provided smooth access to the surrounding world; rather, the body served as a barrier to daily living. In practice, understanding this barrier can be significant in recognizing how to create positive conditions that support the women’s experiences and how to formulate their care in congruence with their needs.