16 Fox Focus | Living with Parkinson’ s
Dr. Dolhun Talks PD
Supporting Care Partners through the Parkinson’ s Journey
By Rachel Dolhun, MD, DipABLM
Rachel Dolhun, MD, DipABLM, is a movement disorder specialist, lifestyle medicine physician and principal medical advisor at MJFF.
BEING A CARE PARTNER TO SOMEONE with Parkinson’ s disease can be both rewarding and demanding. Your role often extends beyond managing physical needs— it’ s about being emotionally present, adapting to change and staying connected through it all.
Care partnership looks different for everyone, but there are some common challenges many care partners may face, from communication and self-care to navigating medical decisionmaking with your loved one.
How can we have productive conversations about Parkinson’ s?
Keeping lines of communication open on all topics, including the difficult ones, is key to any relationship— regardless of Parkinson’ s diagnosis. Listening is an important part of being a good communicator, as well as making time for honest conversations( even if they’ re uncomfortable). Both strategies can help foster space for conversations and connection.
During any conversation, focus on curiosity: Ask open-ended questions and allow your loved one enough time to respond. For difficult conversations, consider enlisting your support system( a clinician, social worker or therapist, for example) to facilitate the discussion. Remember, it’ s not about having perfect conversations— it’ s about staying connected and open as you move through Parkinson’ s together.