How care needs change with Parkinson's
Parkinson's disease is different for everyone. Some people live on their own for many years. Others need help sooner. Here is a simple way to think about care as things change. Your parent's neurologist can tell you where things stand.
Early stage
Symptoms like a tremor or stiffness are mild, often on one side. Most people live at home and keep up their routines. This is the time for exercise, a good neurologist and planning ahead.
Middle stage
Balance gets worse, walking slows, and freezing may start. Dressing and bathing take longer. Falls become a real risk. Many people need some help at home or move to assisted living around this time.
Later stage
Walking may need a walker, a wheelchair or hands-on help. Swallowing can get harder. Some people have hallucinations or memory changes, which doctors may call Parkinson's disease dementia. Daily hands-on care is usually needed.
Falls: a big day to day risk
Falls are a major risk with Parkinson's, and a fall can lead to a hospital stay at Community Regional or Saint Agnes and a long recovery. A few steps help:
- Clear floors, remove throw rugs, and add grab bars and night lights.
- Ask the doctor for a physical therapy referral for balance and walking.
- Watch for freezing in doorways and turns. Therapists teach cueing tricks that help.
- Low blood pressure on standing can cause dizziness. Tell the doctor if it happens.
Exercise is one of the best tools there is. The Greater Fresno Parkinson's Support Group partners with a local exercise program for people with Parkinson's.
Medication timing: on time, every time
Parkinson's medicines, like carbidopa-levodopa, work best on a strict schedule. When a dose is late, stiffness, freezing, shaking and falls can come back. The Parkinson's Foundation advises taking Parkinson's medications within 15 minutes of the usual time.
This matters a lot when you choose a care home. Many homes pass medications at set times for everyone, like 8am, noon and 5pm. Your dad may need doses at 7am, 10am, 1pm and 4pm. Ask every home exactly how they will handle that.
Some medicines can make Parkinson's worse, including drugs that block dopamine, sedatives and certain pain medicines. If your parent goes to the hospital, bring a written list of medicines and dose times. The Parkinson's Foundation Helpline, 1-800-4PD-INFO (1-800-473-4636), has free hospital safety guides.
Tell us what's going on. We'll text you licensed homes that fit, with real prices, and tour them with you.
Which type of care home fits Parkinson's?
| Setting | Good fit when | Ask about | Fresno cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Board and care home | Needs hands-on help, has falls, does better in a small, quiet home | Transfers, night help, exact med times | From about $3,700 a month |
| Assisted living | Still fairly mobile, enjoys activities and a dining room | Med pass times, staff per resident | About $5,100 to $6,600 a month |
| Memory care | Parkinson's disease dementia, hallucinations or wandering | Staff experience with movement symptoms, not only memory loss | Often $7,000+ a month |
| Skilled nursing | Needs daily skilled nursing, or rehab after a hospital stay | Therapy hours, star ratings | Medicare for short rehab; Medi-Cal for long-term |
For many families, a small board and care home works well. With only a handful of residents, a caregiver is always close by, and it is easier to give medications on a personal schedule.
Assisted living suits people who are still walking and want a social life. If thinking and memory are changing, look at memory care, and read about dementia care in Fresno.
Questions to ask a care home about Parkinson's
- Have you cared for residents with Parkinson's? How many do you have now?
- Can you give medications at the exact times the neurologist ordered?
- How do you handle freezing, falls and getting up at night?
- Can staff help with a walker or wheelchair, and with one or two person transfers?
- Do you work with home health for physical, occupational and speech therapy?
- What happens if hallucinations or swallowing problems start?
Local support in Fresno and Clovis
- Greater Fresno Parkinson's Support Group. Meets on the second Saturday of every other month at St. Peter Lutheran Church in Clovis. People with Parkinson's, families and caregivers are welcome. The group also has a Women with Parkinson's gathering. Details at gfpsg.com.
- Parkinson's Foundation Helpline. Call 1-800-4PD-INFO with questions about symptoms, medicines and care, or visit parkinson.org.
- Valley Caregiver Resource Center. Support for family caregivers in the Fresno area.
How we help
We help Fresno and Clovis families find licensed homes that are ready for Parkinson's, not just willing. We ask the hard questions about medication timing and transfers, check each home's CDSS inspection record and tour with you. Call or text (559) 550-4533, 8am to 8pm every day. Our help is free to families. The licensed homes we work with pay us a referral fee.
Updated September 2026 by Shaun and Nick, co-founders of CalValley Senior Living Advisors.