Term Paper on "Children Dealing With Parents Suffering With Parkinson"

Term Paper 6 pages (2125 words) Sources: 1+

[EXCERPT] . . . .

sociology and the effect of disease on family members. Specifically it will discuss the effects on children with a parent suffering from Parkinson's disease. Parents who suffer from Parkinson's disease can create many difficulties in the family environment, especially if they are parents to younger children. Even adult children can have difficulty coping with the degenerative factors of this ultimately fatal disease. Children with parents who suffer from Parkinson's disease could have developmental and learning problems as they grow older, and they could have to grapple with many issues that could age them far beyond their years.

As the course text notes early on, "All of us - children and adults - are influenced by our social, political, and economic contexts" (Ramsey, 2004, p. 16). Thus, it is quite clear that children raised by parents with Parkinson's disease will have different outlooks on many of the social, political, and economic contexts many of us take for granted. Watching a parent grow old and infirm before their time can have a profound effect on the life of a child, from learning to how they view health, life, and even relationships. Parkinson's disease is steadily progressive and at this time can only be controlled for a time, but not cured, and so, the children could be affected by the loss of their parent while they are still young, too. Clearly, growing up with a parent who suffers from a debilitating disease is something that a child cannot forget, and it can affect their future as well as their present circumstances.

Parkinson's disease is a disease of the brain that affects the limbs and movement of the individual. Their body may become more rigid and less flexible, and they may have difficulty with everyday tasks, such as eating, dressing, or walking. One doctor notes, "The problem tends to involve one upper limb initially, leading to difficulty with fine tasks, such as manipulating a knife or fork, dressing or shaving. The patient's handwriting typically becomes reduced in size if the dominant hand is affected" (Perkin, 2003, p. 12-13). The condition usually also shows up as a characteristic tremor in a limb, and can also lead to difficulty maintaining posture, and can even lead to dementia (Perkin, 2003, p. 14-16). The disease, at least in the earliest stages, can be treated with the drug dopamine, as well as other drugs. Two of the most famous celebrities who have brought attention to the disease are Michael J. Fox, and Muhammad Ali, who both show advanced cases of the disease, and have gone public with their diagnosis and treatment. While more people understand the disease, and the great need for a cure, there are still millions of families affected by the disease, and it has a profound affect on these families, and the children growing up in these families.

If a young child lives with a parent with Parkinson's, they may receive less brain stimulation and learning activity at a young age. One reading indicates young brains are the most flexible between six months and three years of age, and then the brain's flexibility slows down somewhat. The author of the reading notes, "Recent brain research has revealed that, after the age of three, plasticity continues at a slower rate until the age of ten" ("Contemporary theories," 2006, p. 25). That means that children's early learning patterns can be affected at a very young age, and they are extremely impressionable. A parent with Parkinson's may not be able to stimulate the child as much mentally or physically, and so these early "golden" learning years may be lost due to the inability of the parent to communicate and teach effectively.

Studies have shown that early life experiences can color development throughout a child's life. The research continues, "A major assertion as a result of new information on early brain activity and growth was the acknowledgement of the extent to which the quality of early experience influences a child's later development" ("Contemporary theories," 2006, p. 25). Thus, young children with parents who suffer from Parkinson's may not only be at a disadvantage in their young years, their entire childhood and young adult development could be changed because of their involvement with the disease and how it affects their parents and their parents as role models.

Older children may be forced into roles beyond their years as they take on the care of younger children and even the suffering adult. As the disease progresses, the symptoms, such as tremor, muscle degradation, and loss of motion and mobility become more pronounced, and that means the patient will lose everyday activities such as eating, walking, working, and even using the restroom without aid. Children may be forced into a caregiver role before they are emotionally or physically mature enough to handle it.

If the children are growing up in a disadvantaged household, they may be even more affected by their parent's disease. Their parent may be unable to work, and so the family may have to subsist on welfare or disability - usually well below the poverty line. If this is the case, they probably will not have access to as good an education as children in wealthier neighborhoods have, and they may not be able to give their full attention to their schoolwork. As they grow older, they may find it necessary to work and go to school, or even drop out of school to help support the family. All of this will color their outlook, their thoughts about medicine and the medical community, the social workers and teachers who influence them, and even their thoughts about religion and well-being. A child who grows up under aberrant conditions such as these is bound to be affected, it depends on the strength of the child, the family, and their support group how much the child's future is finally affected.

Even if children are not affected so adversely, having a parent with Parkinson's can be a time of fear and uncertainty. One woman affected with the disease writes of her son, "As time went on, I could see small but distinct ways that my announcement changed their behavior. When my son Kyle and I would go shopping, he would hold only my left hand. When I asked him why, his reply was that he was trying to stop the shaking" (Lane, 2005). Children also are fearful they may grow up to contract the disease, or that is may be "catching." Often, parents take children to a special doctor's appointment where the doctor helps explain the rigors of the disease, what causes it, and answer questions the children might have. This helps alleviate some concerns, but cannot alleviate the day-to-day experiences the children have. It has to be life changing for a child to see a once vital parent unable to tie a shoe, pick up a spoon, or sign their name. They may think that life will never be the same again, and they are right.

Sadly, children may face adversity from their peers, too. They may be teased or bullied at school because of their parent's illness, especially since there are so many visible signs of the disease. Michelle Lane, a mother suffering from the disease writes, "They [her children] were unsure how to answer children at school when they were asked why their mom shakes so much, and I continually had to reassure them that I was not going to die. At one point we decided to seek outside counseling from a psychologist for one of the boys who was having a particularly difficult time adjusting" (Lane, 2005). Children may need counseling or other professional help, and other family members might benefit from this help, too. Thus, children are affected deeply on an emotional and psychological level. Parents can help by giving the children explanations of the disease, and answers they can give other children if they tease or bully them. Getting teachers involved by sharing the disease with them can also help create more understanding and awareness at school and with peers.

The children may also have difficulty accepting or understanding the changes in their parent. Author Kondracke, married to a woman with Parkinson's notes, "Ordinarily she needs to have her food chopped up or pureed and she can't manipulate a fork or spoon by herself and has to be fed. But sometimes she'll insist on having mussels or barbecued ribs for dinner and gets them down without choking" (Kondracke, 2001, p. 245). Young children especially may not understand why a parent who used to be "normal" is now unable to perform daily tasks. They may be frightened or confused, and will need to be reassured and comforted. Some experts recommend using books and literature to help them understand perplexing processes such as these. Text author Ramsey continues, "Nonfiction books are good resources for background information and images of people who are underrepresented in the media" (Ramsey, 2004, p. 40). Encouraging the child to write about their fears… READ MORE

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