Parkinson's Disease Caring Podcast

On this episode, I discuss what a caregiver needs to know when confronted with psychosis exhibited by their loved one. It is important for caregivers to understand some of the common and reversible causes of psychosis related to Parkinson's disease. The psychosis may manifest as visual, auditory, or tactile hallucinations. In some cases, delusional thoughts and paranoia may be present during the psychotic episode. When a loved one experiences psychosis, you must know what kind of medical attention your loved one will require and be armed with the knowledge of treatment options. I discuss numerous medication options to treat psychosis. You must be aware of potential side effects as well as the black box warning on these medications. Finally, I discuss some of the treatments in the research pipeline and how to find out more information about these medications in clinical trials. The Parkinson's Disease Caring podcast is produced and hosted by Dr. Kevin Klos. Please visit www.pdcaring.com for more resources and information. 

In this episode, I introduce the topic of psychosis as it relates to Parkinson's disease. I review some of the important information about the different forms of psychosis including illusions, hallucinations, and delusional thoughts. This episode will set the stage for the upcoming month of episodes diving deep into this topic. We will discuss the biology of psychosis, the various causes of this problem in PD, and the available treatments. Our discussion on treatments will include both pharmacological therapy as well as non-pharmacological therapy. The Parkinson's Disease Caring Podcast is produced and hosted by Dr. Kevin Klos. Please visit www.pdcaring.com for more resources and information. 

One of the greatest challenges for a caregiver of a loved one with Parkinson's disease is managing episodes of psychosis. On today's episode, I interview a caregiver named Sharon. Sharon is a caregiver for her husband with a 14 year history of PD. In the recent years, he has experienced a decline in cognitive function as well as episodes of psychosis that included visual and tactile hallucinations as well as delusional thoughts. Sharon shares some of these experiences with us and explains how she handled the episodes. She offers great advice for all caregivers not only witnessing psychotic episodes but also cognitive decline. The Parkinson's Disease Caring Podcast is produced and hosted by Dr. Kevin Klos. Please visit www.pdcaring.com for more resources and information. 

In this episode, I discuss the current recommendations for treatment of Mild Cognitive Impairment of Parkinson's disease as well as the Dementia of Parkinson's disease. The discussion includes both pharmacological recommendations as well as non-pharmacological recommendations based upon the available medical literature. We discuss the recent publication of the Movement Disorder Society recommendation for treatment of Mild Cognitive Impairment and Dementia of Parkinson's disease. The Parkinson's Disease Caring Podcast is produced and hosted by Dr. Kevin Klos. Please visit www.pdcaring.com for more resources and information. 

My guest interview is Dr. Keith Josephs, Professor of Neurology and Research Scientist at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. Dr. Josephs is a world expert on Parkinson's disease and related Atypical Parkinson disorders as well as Alzheimer's disease and other dementia illness. We discuss where Parkinson's disease starts in the peripheral system of the body as well as in the brain. He shares his thoughts about the research looking into the types of pathological changes that happen in the brain causing dementia. We discuss if dementia could be a result of mixed pathological changes such as a mixture of Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease or other conditions. He helps us better understand the difference between Lewy body disease and Parkinson's disease dementia. Dr. Josephs also discusses psychosis, depression, and other non-motor symptoms related to Parkinson's disease. He shares with us some of the current research projects that he is personally working on at the Mayo Clinic. Finally, he shares some of his thoughts about a new treatment recently approved by the FDA for Alzheimer's disease. After this episode, you will have a much better understanding of what is happening in the brain to cause your loved one to experience changes in cognitive ability due to Parkinson's disease and have hope for the future. 

This month, we will turn our attention to cognition in people with Parkinson's disease. In this introduction episode, I talk about the clinical diagnosis of Mild Cognitive Impairment of Parkinson's disease and what this actually means. I discuss how this condition may progress throughout the course of the illness. I discuss Dementia of Parkinson's disease and the prevalence rate of this condition.This month, we will focus on the neuropathology of cognitive changes of Parkinson's disease and focus on treatments for various problems related to cognition. We will also discuss in future episodes the research pipeline on novel therapeutics in clinical trials that may improve cognitive performance. The Parkinson's Disease Caring Podcast is produced and hosted by Dr. Kevin Klos. Please visit www.pdcaring.com for more resources and information. Please email pdcaringhelp@gmail.com if you would like to suggest topics for future shows or to ask questions related to these topics.  

In this episode, we conclude the month long topic of swallow impairment in Parkinson's disease. I share treatment recommendations with you from two interviews conducted with local speech and language pathologist who specialize in swallowing therapy. Juliana and Tiffany share practice and very useful advice that care partners and caregivers will benefit from to help their loved one. I also present the recommendations from a multidisciplinary consensus panel that published their treatment recommendations for Swallowing impairment in September of 2021. I offer a final conclusion on swallowing impairment. I hope that this information will be useful for you and your loved one with Parkinson's disease. The Parkinson's Disease Caring Podcast is produced and hosted by Dr. Kevin Klos. Please visit www.pdcaring.com for more resources and information. 

In this episode, I discuss the process of swallowing and areas of dysfunction of swallowing in Parkinson's disease. I explain the three phases of swallowing and many of the problems that occur in each stage related to Parkinson's disease. Then I describe testing available to assess for swallowing dysfunction. To further explain the diagnostics available for swallowing impairment, I interviewed Juliana Harl, a Speech-Language Pathologist in practice who specializes in Parkinson's disease. She reviews various testing options and what she looks for in her assessments. She also provides recommendations that caregivers may use at home to help assess their loved one with Parkinson's disease to empower you to raise a concern regarding swallowing function to your loved one's health care provider. Join us next week for the final episode on swallowing impairment when we discuss treatment options as well as nutritional support. The Parkinson's Disease Caring Podcast is produced and hosted by Dr. Kevin Klos. Please visit www.pdcaring.com for more resources and information. 

In this episode, I introduce the topic for the month of January on this podcast. The topic is swallowing dysfunction of Parkinson's disease. The medical term for swallowing impairment is dysphagia. This month we will dive deep into this topic reviewing the potential problems that may occur for people with Parkinson's disease. I introduce the topic today. In the following shows, we will discuss in great detail the testing options, treatment options, and nutritional support for swallowing impairment in Parkinson's disease. Swallowing impairment is under reported by patients and sometimes can be silent. Healthcare providers may under utilize diagnostic testing resulting in less people receiving the exact diagnosis and treatment protocol. Care partners and Caregivers can be great advocates for their loved one to receive testing when appropriate and treatment to prevent common complications of swallowing impairment. Ultimately, we desire to prevent aspiration pneumonia which is the most common cause of death in Parkinson's disease. 

Thank you for supporting the Parkinson's Disease Caring Podcast in 2021! We are looking forward to a great year ahead. The format of the Podcast will change slightly this year. Each month or two, the podcast will focus on a clinical problem that is commonly reported in the PD clinic. I will dedicate the weekly shows to this topic and dive deep into the information you need to know related to this topic. I will add interviews with patients, care partners, caregivers, and other experts to provide you with detailed information on the diagnostic information as well as treatment protocols for you to consider with your loved one and their health care provider. The Parkinson's Disease Caring Podcast  is produced and hosted by Dr. Kevin Klos. Please visit www.pdcaring.com for more resources and information. 

At the recent International Movement Disorder and Parkinson's Disease meeting of 2021, exciting research updates were presented. The clinical trials presented included trials of disease modification, therapies for the motor symptoms, and therapies for the non-motor symptoms.  Trials with negative outcomes were also presented at this meeting.  Dr. Klos discusses highlights of this meeting. The Parkinson's disease Caring Podcast is produced and hosted by Dr. Kevin Klos. Please visit www.pdcaring.com for more resources and information. 

In my clinical practice, I have the opportunity to discuss many caregiving related subjects with my patients and their caregivers. I hear many pervasive opinions on certain topics that many caregivers learn from misinformation on the internet, discussed in support groups, and other resources. These myths have the opportunity to sabotage the care of your loved one. On this episode, I bring to your attention some of the more common myths and misconceptions and address the science behind my recommendations. Learn easy action steps that you may implement right away to help partner with your loved one as they battle Parkinson's disease. The Parkinson's disease Caring Podcast is produced and hosted by Dr. Kevin Klos. Please visit www.pdcaring.com for more resources and information. 

This show shares my interview with Neurosurgeon, Dr. Andrew Conner, from the University of Oklahoma Neurosurgery department. Dr. Conner received his DBS training from one of the top rated DBS centers in the world, the University of California San Francisco . In the last few years, the field of Movement Disorders have witnessed numerous advances in technology for Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS). Now there are three device companies producing innovative hardware for the market place. The surgical procedure has evolved with the technology and outcomes have improved greatly with these advances. We have seen not only better efficacy results from the procedure but a reduction in side effects. Dr. Conner shares the details of these advances and how he performs the surgery today. In addition, Dr. Conner provides great advise on caring for a loved one going through DBS surgery. He points out what to watch out for after surgery. Dr. Conner has a passion for this procedure and helping patients who require this DBS implant to have the best outcome possible. He also discusses some  of the differences between the new Ultrasound ablation procedure as it compares to DBS. The Parkinson's disease Caring Podcast is produced and hosted by Dr. Kevin Klos. Please visit www.pdcaring.com for more resources and information. 

True happiness results when a caregiver is able to serve a loved one with their entire mind, body and spirit. As caregivers, we have an incredible opportunity to find this happiness in our journey with a loved one battling Parkinson's disease. To find this happiness, we have to put aside our own selfish thoughts and desires and give our best to our loved one. This is certainly easy to say and hard to accomplish. I interviewed a caregiver named Jack. His wife, Lois, was a patient in my practice with a long history of Parkinson's disease. Jack is one of the best caregivers I have witnessed demonstrating a servant heart in the way he cared for Lois over her last 17 years with this illness. As he says, "I did it out of love." I hope you enjoy the stories and advise Jack shares with us on this interview. The Parkinson's disease Caring Podcast is produced and hosted by Dr. Kevin Klos. Please visit www.pdcaring.com for more resources and information. 

Perhaps you and/or your loved one with Parkinson's disease have read about protein intake and possible interactions with dopamine therapy. You may have read articles recommending a diet low in protein if you have Parkinson's disease. On this episode, I discuss the facts and science behind dietary protein intake and Parkinson's disease. I discuss proper timing of levodopa or dopamine therapy and protein intake. I present some cases from my clinic illustrating these concepts. As a care partner or caregiver, it is important to be familiar with proper protein intake and timing of medication around protein intake to help your loved one achieve the most from their medication and find stability and consistency in the benefits of their medication dosing. The Parkinson's disease Caring Podcast is produced and hosted by Dr. Kevin Klos. Please visit www.pdcaring.com for more resources and information. 

In this episode, I interview a board certified gastroenterologist, Dr. Matt Blankenship from Tulsa, Oklahoma. Dr. Blankenship has experience treating numerous digestive system problems related to Parkinson's disease. He is also one of the most experienced interventionalists in the US regarding Duopa therapy. Dr. Blankenship discusses the different types of constipation that our loved ones commonly face throughout the illness with Parkinson's disease. He offers practice treatment advise for this problem including a discussion of both over the counter treatment options as well as prescription therapies. He discusses the new therapy for chronic constipation with brand name Motegrity. In this episode, Dr. Blankenship also discusses digestive health screening recommendations both for people with Parkinson's disease and care partners and caregivers. He discusses Duopa therapy. Finally, he educates us on some important symptoms that your loved one may experience that would alert you to seek medical attention promptly. The Parkinson's disease Caring Podcast is produced and hosted by Dr. Kevin Klos. Please visit www.pdcaring.com for more resources and information. 

In this episode, I interview a Swallow Specialist from Oklahoma, Tiffany Turner, to learn about how Parkinson's disease may impair swallowing function. Tiffany explains how dysfunction in the nervous system may lead to swallowing difficulty and what clinical signs we need to be aware of as caregivers that such a problem is developing. Tiffany explains how a swallow disorder is evaluated in the clinic and in the hospital settings. She details for us what she is looking for and how she recognizes if the swallowing difficulty may be a result of some other gastrointestinal disorder. Tiffany provides us with treatment options that may reverse swallowing dysfunction in our loved one as well as information on how to prevent life threatening complications related to swallowing. The Parkinson's Disease Caring Podcast is produced and hosted by Dr. Kevin Klos. Please visit www.pdcaring.com for more resources and information. 

One of the many challenges in caregiving for a loved one with Parkinson's disease is assuming a new role in the relationship and family. Many of us caregivers may not have been the leader of the family especially related to making decisions, handling the family finances, and even taking care of our family member. Parkinson's disease will progress to a point where an individual will have great difficulty maintaining this leadership role and will now depend upon a caregiver for everything. Anka has been caring for her husband with Parkinson's disease for over 13 years. Her role in the family has changed and she is now the leader of the family . She manages everything including her husbands health needs, medications, therapy, and transportation. She takes care of him alone at home and only recently hired help a few hours a week to help her with some of the lifting tasks that are difficult for her to complete. Anka shares her personal journey as a caregiver. She offers great wisdom and advice for all of us.  I think you will enjoy her interview. We appreciate the time she gave to this podcast episode and for all of the support she provides to the Parkinson community in our area. The Parkinson's Disease Caring Podcast is produced and hosted by Dr. Kevin Klos. Please visit www.pdcaring.com for more resources and information. 

Today's Klos clinic will discuss a rescue therapy option that very few people are ever told about in the Neurology clinic. In fact, this option will certainly be unlikely to be discussed with new rescue therapies on the market such as Inbrija and Kynmobi. Join Dr. Klos for this episode to learn more about this important option to help your loved one battle off times. If this therapy seems reasonable to consider, please discuss with your loved one and the healthcare provider to see if this option is right for your loved one. Please visit pdcaring.com for a recipe for this rescue therapy and more resources. Thank you for supporting this podcast!

Duopa therapy is an important addition to the treatment options for people with Parkinson's disease. Very few patients and caregivers learn about this therapy from their provider due to lack of experience using the product. Many are reluctant to consider the therapy due to misconceptions about the procedure and maintenance of the pump system. On this episode, I interview a patient with Parkinson's disease currently using the Duopa system in my clinical practice. He shares insight into his experience to help caregivers understand better what their loved one may go through and what they may expect in helping their loved one with this therapy. JR provides helpful tips for the caregiver beyond just using the Duopa system that I hope will help you. We are thankful for JR's willingness to join us on this podcast. Please visit pdcaring.com for more information and resources. Thank you for supporting this podcast!

On this episode, Dr. Klos answers your questions regarding Parkinson's disease. Thank you for emailing your questions for today's show. If you would like to submit questions for a future show, please email them to pdcaringhelp@gmail.com. Thank you for listening to episode #9. If you would like to find more resources for care partners and caregivers for loved ones with PD, please check out www.pdcaring.com. 

Many Parkinson's disease experts have suggested that one of the leading causes of disability for Parkinson's disease patients is the fear of using levodopa (dopamine) therapy by the healthcare provider and/or the patient. This fear stems from myths and misconceptions pervasive on the internet, in medical clinics, and support groups. This fear has resulted in patients unnecessarily delaying this important therapy or limiting the dose which may under treat the motor symptoms of the disease. On today's episode, I discuss some of these common myths and misconceptions to help the care partner and caregiver understand the truth about levodopa. Hopefully, with this information, you will be prepared to encourage your loved one to receive the optimal results from this gold standard treatment so that your loved one may achieve the best possible quality of life. I encourage you to lead your loved one to discuss therapy options further with their health care provider to find the best treatment solution for them. 

As a care partner or caregiver for a loved one with PD, you have certainly by now heard the importance of exercise and therapy for your loved one with PD. Why is it so important for your loved one? Does exercise only benefit physical symptoms? Is there evidence that exercise might slow the progression of PD for your loved one?Additionally, are you exercising? If so, are you consistent with your exercise program? Are there advantages to regular aerobic exercise for your brain health?Tune in to the episode to learn more about this important topic! 

Exercise and balance therapy are important interventions in the treatment of Parkinson's disease. But what exercise should a person with Parkinson's disease perform? How often and for how long? Should the carepartner and caregiver engage in regular exercise as well? These are some of the many questions I hear in the PD clinic from patients and caregivers. As PD advances, what issues related to fall risk should we be aware of as a caregiver? Is there a point in the progression when Physical Therapy should no longer be considered? Are there new devices and technology that may assist my loved one? On today's interview, we dive into these questions with an expert on PD therapy and balance rehabilitation. Keith Khoo has over 34 years of experience treating PD patients. He is a balance therapist and utilizes many of the newest technologies to help people with PD reach their therapy goals. He is regularly involved with caregivers and leads support groups as well as group exercises classes that benefit both patients and caregivers. He provides wonderful advice that will benefit carepartners and caregivers caring for a loved one with PD. 

Caregivers for loved ones with Parkinson's disease experience guilt. There are many reasons why a caregiver may experience guilt along the journey and the severity of the guilt certainly varies. For example, caregivers may feel guilty when taking time away from their duties to pursue personal time. You may feel guilt when you compare how you are handling certain situations to other caregivers. Caregivers may struggle with balancing demands on their time from other personal responsibilities or health problems. One of the most difficult situations that Parkinson's disease caregivers face is the decision of placing their loved one in a living center for higher level of care. Alice faced this decision and experienced tremendous guilt from her own internal feelings about the decision as well as from her husband's comments and behavior regarding this life change. Alice offers great advice for dealing with this important decision and how she finds peace in her life. 

Alice is a caregiver for her husband with Parkinson's disease for the last 34 years. This is part one of a two part interview discussing her experience navigating the care partner and then caregiving role. She provides helpful advice to build confidence in your caregiving role. There are many elements that Alice shares requiring the interview to be broken into two episodes. This episode focuses on helpful advice in dealing with the changes that Parkinson's disease brings to a family. On the next episode, learn more about guilt and her difficult decision to decide between caring for her husband at home or considering a nursing home placement. As always, we greatly appreciate our guests willingness to share their story and experience with us as well as offering advice that hopefully will help the listener in their journey. 

A common complication of Parkinson's disease is off episodes related to levodopa therapy. After many years of taking levodopa therapy, an individual with Parkinson's disease may experience off episodes in which the benefit of a dose of levodopa therapy may fade resulting in the return of Parkinson's disease symptoms. For some patients, the off episodes are mild and non troublesome. However, for most patients, off episodes are troublesome due to discomfort of symptoms or loss of function. On the show today, learn more about off episodes and possible treatment options. The show will focus on the newest treatment available for off episodes named Kynmobi. Kynmobi is a sublingual film that provides a rapid rescue for patients experiencing off episodes. The medication was FDA approved in May of 2020. Many patients and caregivers are unfamiliar with this treatment option. I will provide you with helpful advice and hints from my clinic experience using this product as well as my experience using this medication in clinical trials. It is important to consider all treatment options for off episodes and to work with your loved one's healthcare provider in finding the best treatment for their individual needs. This show is not designed to treat individual patients but instead to educate care partners and caregivers about off episodes and a new treatment approved for this problem. Become a more confident and informed care partner or caregiver by listening to the show. 

There are many reasons why patients with Parkinson's disease may choose not to participate in a clinical trial. Many of these reasons may not be valid reasons due to misconceptions about PD clinical trials. Although clinical trials are not ideal for some patients, this episode explores why your loved one with PD might wish to consider participation in a trial. Learn from care partner Joe and his wife Barbara from their experience with a PD clinical trial and how this decision impacted her treatment plan. Joe and Barbara offer valuable advice to the care partner. This is a conversation that you just don't want to miss! Learn more at www.pdcaring.com

Movement Disorder and Parkinson's Disease specialist, Dr. Kevin Klos, previews his new podcast for Care Partners and Caregivers with loved ones battling Parkinson's disease. Dr. Klos is also a care partner for his mother who was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. New episodes will be produced every week. His episodes will vary between interviews with current caregivers and patients in his clinical practice, Klos clinic shows that provide quick updates on new medications and therapies for Parkinson's disease that are free of commercial bias and influence, and question and answer shows designed to answer the most common questions from caregivers in his clinical practice. Please subscribe so that you will not miss any shows!