Abstract
For 69 patients whose home care services were begun between 1975 and 1983 by the home care group of Tokyo Metropolitan Neurological Hospital, related data were gathered including the patient's property, social environments, symptoms and disorders, progression, ADL, mental ability, and actual status and difficulties in care. A control group included both bedridden and ill, non-bedridden elderly persons. The study revealed the following : (1) The Parkinson's disease patients received care at home included first or second degree physically handicapped 28 patients (40.6%) . Remarkably reduced ADL and some disorders of communication were found in all the cases, while mental symptoms, dementia, and mental disorder such as enervation were noticed in most cases. (2) The symptoms or disorders which are ex-pected to be improved by home care are dysuria, dysphagia, mental symptoms and so on. The above mentioned symptoms and disorders had been improved through intubation feeding, urinary bladder indwelling catheterization etc. (3) The frequency and severity of the symptoms and disorders, the necessity of treatments, and difficulty in home care were significantly greater for the Parkinson's disease patients than for the bedridden control group. (4) The medical care as well as social needs of nursing, expenditure of life, and medicine, family health control are necessary in home care activities.
