Maria M. Meyer, Paula Derr, and Susan Imke

Contributing writers

About

Maria M. Meyer has been a longtime advocate of social causes, beginning with her work as cofounder of the Society for Abused Children of the Children's Home Society of Florida and founding executive director of the Children's Foundation of Greater Miami. When her father-in-law suffered a stroke in 1993, Meyer became aware of the need for better information about how to care for an aging parent, a responsibility shared by millions of Americans. That experience led her to found CareTrust Publications and to coauthor the award-winning guide The Comfort of Home: An Illustrated Step-by-Step Guide for Caregivers , now in its third edition. This book earned the Benjamin Franklin Award in the health category. Meyer is a keynote speaker and workshop leader on caregiver topics to healthcare professionals and community groups, as well as a Caregiver Community Action Network volunteer for the National Family Caregiver Association.

Paula Derr has been employed by the Sisters of Providence Health System for more than 25 years. She has broad experience in many different clinical settings and for many years served as clinical educator for three emergency departments in the Portland metropolitan area. She was a founder of inforMed, which publishes emergency medical services field guides for emergency medical technicians, paramedics, firefighters, physicians, and nurses, and has coauthored numerous healthcare articles. For Derr, home care is a family tradition of long standing. For many years, she cared for her mother and grandmother in her home while raising two daughters and maintaining her career in nursing and healthcare management. Her personal and professional experience adds depth to many chapters of this book. Derr is active in several prominent professional organizations -- including the Society of Critical Care Medicine (SCCM), the Emergency Nurses Association (ENA), the American Association of Critical Care Nurses (AACN), and the National Flight Nurses Association (NFNA) -- and holds both local and national board positions. Paula is a native Oregonian and lives with her husband in Portland.

Susan Imke is a certified gerontological nurse practitioner with more than 20 years of experience working with patients who have Parkinson's disease, as well as with family caregivers. Originally certified as a family nurse practitioner, her focus shifted to elder care in the 1980s when she was appointed associate director of the Texas Tech Alzheimer Center in Lubbock. She later recruited to practice with a leading movement-disorder specialist, Abraham Lieberman, at the Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix. Imke is the CEO of Senior Health Solutions, a geriatric consulting practice, helping families living with chronic illnesses to navigate a complex healthcare system and maximize the functional abilities of the individual with neurological impairment. Imke serves on the Center of Excellence review board for the National Parkinson Foundation and on the board of directors for the Parkinson Alliance in Princeton, New Jersey. She lives with her husband in Fort Worth, Texas, and is the down-the-street caregiver for her 90-year-old father, who is recently widowed and has Parkinson's disease.

Recently Published on Caring.com

  1. Monday April 06, 2009

    1. Pointers for Using Parkinson's Medications Effectively

      Article - It is essential that patients and caregivers become knowledgeable about the medications used to treat Parkinson's disease. Medical research has provided numerous medications that used alone, or more often in careful combination, can provide significant relief of Parkinson's Disease symptoms...

  2. Monday March 02, 2009

    1. An Effective Team for Managing Parkinson's Disease

      Article - The person in your care and his or her family are a central part of the team.

  3. Thursday January 08, 2009

    1. Oral Care for Someone With Parkinson's Disease

      Article - Tips on providing oral care, including teeth and mouth cleaning, to your loved one with Parkinson's disease.

  4. Wednesday January 07, 2009

    1. Dressing Someone With Parkinson's

      Article - Practical tips for dressing and undressing a loved one with Parkinson's disease.

    2. Mobility Aids for Someone With Parkinson's Disease

      Article - Practical tips on how to help your elderly parents with Parkinson's cope when mobility is impaired -- and how to help them get around. 1 Comment

  5. Thursday December 11, 2008

    1. Tips on Traveling With Someone With Parkinson's Disease

      Article - NOTE: Take more carbidopa/levodopa than the care receiver uses at home on his usual schedule and routine. Extra doses may be required to handle the demands of being away.

  6. Monday December 08, 2008

    1. Choosing a Doctor for Someone With Parkinson's

      Article - Both the APDA and NPF can recommend names of neurologists who specialize in Parkinson's disease. Think about using doctors who are allied with medical schools or movement disorder treatment centers. They tend to have the most up- to-date information and access to clinical trials.

    2. Activity Planning When Caring for Someone With Parkinson's Disease

      Article - Even if they do not have dementia, some people with Parkinson disease may have a lack of interest. They tend to withdraw socially as the disease progresses. Parkinson symptoms that can lead a person to withdraw from normal activities and interaction include--

    3. Homemade Aids and Gadgets for Someone With Parkinson's Disease

      Article - wrist straps for canes--tape tied on a cane so it can be hung from the wrist while walking upstairs kitchen chair trolleys--made by putting casters on a chair and used to move things around easily bicycle baskets--strapped to a walker to store necessities and leave the hands free an egg carton--to organize... 2 Comments

    4. Recording and Managing Medications for Someone With Parkinson's Disease

      Article - Medication management is the most important part of controlling Parkinson symptoms. Knowing what to expect from these medications can be extremely helpful.

  7. Monday October 27, 2008

    1. What Is Wearing-Off?

      Article - Wearing-off is when Parkinson's symptoms begin to reappear or become noticeably worse before it is time to take the next scheduled dose of medication. As wearing- off becomes more obvious, it may be harder to control the time when levodopa results in a good response ("on" time) and the time when there is a poor response to levodopa ("off" time)...

    2. Surgery for Parkinson's Disease

      Article - Neurosurgical procedures are now available and covered by insurers to treat some symptoms of Parkinson disease that no longer respond well to medication therapy alone.

  8. Wednesday October 15, 2008

    1. Speech and Swallowing Therapy

      Article - Speech therapy is the treatment of disorders that involve speaking, hearing, writing, reading, and other communication required for the activities of daily living. Speech therapists also teach people to swallow foods and liquids safely.