Introduction
Parkinson’s disease is one of the most common conditions among older adults, and currently, it does not have any cure. Moreover, Parkinson’s disease negatively impacts people’s nervous systems and prevents them from functioning properly over time. At the same time, individuals with Parkinson’s disease also experience a certain social stigma which in turn can reduce their quality of life. Therefore, it is important to explore all the social implications of Parkinson’s disease for patients and to determine how they affect them. The current paper will focus on analyzing the stereotypes relating to Parkinson’s disease. Specifically, the patient group which will be the subject of the study is the older men of all ethnicities with Parkinson’s disease living in an urban environment and of different sexual orientations. Such a Parkinson’s disease patient group is one of the largest ones, and thus, the results of the current analysis can be generalized.
Background Information
First, it is important to mention the core information about Parkinson’s disease and the aforementioned group of patients. Parkinson’s disease constitutes a progressive brain disorder that particularly affects the central nervous system of a person (Dorsey et al., 2018). Parkinson’s disease primarily affects older adults, and it occurs in situations when basal ganglia nerve cells die or become impaired. The main symptoms of Parkinson’s disease include problems with movement and coordination, such as tremors, difficulty with walking, stiffness, as well as impaired balance.
Parkinson’s disease affects different types of populations, but the distribution of the disease across the world countries is quite stable. Worldwide, approximately 6 million people are diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, and circa 100 thousand of them live in the United Kingdom (Dorsey et al., 2018). Men tend to have Parkinson’s disease more often than women, which is also relevant in the case of the United Kingdom (Dorsey et al., 2018). At the same time, in the United Kingdom, the most prevalent group is people aged between 80 and 95 (Dorsey et al., 2018). Thus, Parkinson’s disease can be viewed as a condition affecting primarily older men both in the United Kingdom and worldwide.
Stereotyping
Stereotyping is a practice that every vulnerable group, such as Parkinson’s disease patients, is subject to in some form or another. Stereotyping implies holding generalized assumptions about certain phenomena or people which are based on ideas that are false or partially true (Chambers and Ryder, 2018). As mentioned above, Parkinson’s disease patients, including older males, often encounter stereotyping in various ways. A common stereotype of people with Parkinson’s disease is that they are frail, cognitively impaired, or no longer reliable and individuals who cannot be trusted. Many Parkinson’s disease patients also have a facial mask which entails an unexpressive face and thus can mislead others to think that the people suffering from the condition are unwilling to communicate.
Additionally, such patients can often experience hallucinations, which make others view them as delusional and not sane. When being in the presence of Parkinson’s disease patients, people report experiencing uncomfortable feelings (Maffoni et al., 2017). The most prevalent stereotype about the disease is that it is a condition of older people; therefore, such individuals are often not taken seriously due to their old age. Moreover, since Parkinson’s disease patients may experience problems with communication, they are viewed as unable to express their thoughts and desires.
The Impact of Stereotyping
The extensive stereotyping, which many Parkinson’s disease patients become subject to, directly impacts their physical and mental health and can lead to many other considerable problems. For instance, as mentioned above, people who have Parkinson’s disease are frequently perceived as being reserved and unwilling to communicate due to the facial mask that they get as their condition progresses. Thus, Parkinson’s disease patients can become isolated and may not receive enough contact with other people (Salazar et al., 2018). The lack of communication can cause such patients to feel abandoned and ignored, especially by their relatives when they are around. Eventually, the absence of attention may lead to depression in Parkinson’s disease patients and, therefore, negatively impact their mental state. Prolonged depression, in turn, can cause Parkinson’s disease patients to begin to have suicide ideation.
Another possible outcome of the facial mask for Parkinson’s disease patients is the neglect of their needs by their caregivers, such as family members or medical professionals. Although there are special frameworks that can facilitate the process of the provision of care to Parkinson’s disease patients, in many situations, they are not applied due to various reasons. For instance, when a Parkinson’s disease patient gets care services from a family member, the latter may be unaware of the need to adhere to a special schedule. As a result, they may get the false impression that if the patient is silent, they do not need any assistance (Da Silva et al., 2019). The facial mask may prevent Parkinson’s disease patients from expressing themselves and receiving the care they require. Subsequently, their safety becomes vulnerable since the lack of assistance may cause them to experience severe physical problems.
The facial mask is not the only symptom of Parkinson’s disease; another notable phenomenon related to the condition is hallucinations. People with Parkinson’s disease may be scared to tell their family members and doctors about the hallucinations they have. They may feel that such information will give other people a negative image of them and force them to distance themselves from the patient. Thus, Parkinson’s disease patients may willingly abstain from seeking medical help, which will inevitably lead to the aggravation of their condition in the future (Salazar et al., 2018). Essentially, patients will fail to receive medication to contain their symptoms by withholding valuable information about their condition to avoid suffering from social stigma. Therefore, the stereotyping related to Parkinson’s disease can prevent people from accessing healthcare services.
Another considerable problem that Parkinson’s disease patients are the lack of assistance on the part of their family members. Friends and family of Parkinson’s disease patients may distance themselves from them to the point where the patient will not have any support. Being left completely alone, Parkinson’s disease patients may be unable to address their basic needs, such as eating and washing, especially if their condition has significantly progressed over time. Such situations also put the health of Parkinson’s disease patients at considerable risk and make them encounter negative consequences.
Finally, when learning about the onset of the condition early, patients may not only conceal it from their families but also embrace alternative medical solutions. First of all, the fear of embarrassment may prevent Parkinson’s disease patients from talking to their families about their medical condition. As a result, they lose the support of the people who are dear to them and try to deal with the problem alone, which can be difficult for them mentally (Da Silva et al., 2019). Moreover, after learning about the fact that Parkinson’s disease does not have a cure, patients may start looking for ways to treat their condition beyond the established evidence-based medicine. The use of alternative health interventions can worsen the disease for patients and aggravate its symptoms.
Strategies to Promote Inclusivity
It is clear that people living with Parkinson’s disease, especially the group which is analyzed as part of the current paper, are often subject to unfavorable treatment from others. Yet, there are initiatives that can be used in order to increase the inclusivity of such people and promote equity in society. The first and most important element of the inclusivity strategy must be the creation of a community of people who share the same concerns. Essentially, there is a need to establish local groups of Parkinson’s disease patients where they can communicate with one another. Such local groups must take place in venues that are physically accessible to all sections of the Parkinson’s disease community and the diverse needs of the members must be catered for. Caregivers also should participate in such activities in order to exchange their knowledge and share experiences.
Another important element of the inclusivity strategy is the provision of job opportunities to people affected by Parkinson’s disease. Although Parkinson’s disease is debilitating, patients during the early stages can still continue executing the majority of tasks themselves. Research shows that occupational therapy is effective in helping people with the condition to stay active despite their symptoms (Radder et al., 2017). Thus, people with Parkinson’s disease must be encouraged to work and should be offered opportunities to do so. Work can enable such people to stay connected with their friends and colleagues and to be included in social life. At the same time, it is important to avoid discriminating against individuals affected by Parkinson’s in the workplace. Such employees should have equal access to training, development, and other career opportunities and, if possible, have to be given flexible working schedules.
Raising awareness about Parkinson’s disease is another crucial strategy that must be taken seriously by advocacy and charity organizations. Essentially, the existing stigma concerning Parkinson’s disease can be addressed only through publicity and education. An average person must understand all the aspects of Parkinson’s disease and has to know how much people should be approached. The mission of advocacy and charity organizations must be the promotion of the interests of people affected by Parkinson’s disease. Thus, such organizations must raise awareness among the public through the means of national campaigns. For instance, such organizations can create TV commercials explaining the basics of Parkinson’s disease and encourage the viewers to spread the information further. Most importantly, advocacy groups should protect the rights of Parkinson’s disease patients by addressing inequalities and injustice in society.
Charity organizations also can offer a wide variety of services to Parkinson’s disease patients to integrate them socially. Due to motor problems, people with Parkinson’s disease often struggle to move freely, yet there is evidence that exercise can help to slow down the progress of the condition (Stuckenschneider et al., 2021). Thus, charities can deliver training to Parkinson’s disease patients on how to engage in therapeutical physical activities. Moreover, charity centers can hold group training for people with Parkinson’s disease where they can meet others and possibly exercise together in the future. Charity organizations also can attract volunteers willing to work with Parkinson’s disease patients. The support of volunteers is particularly important for those patients who live alone, and the interactions with caregivers will let them have communication and social interactions.
Nurses and other caregivers also can provide Parkinson’s disease patients with information about strategies on how they can help themselves. In the United Kingdom, there are policies in place targeted at helping people with severe health problems, including those living with Parkinson’s disease. For instance, such people may be eligible for Personal Independence Payment (PIP) if they are aged 64 and under, have walking difficulties, ad need help with personal care. Nurses can educate their patients on how they can apply for such state programs. Nurses also can distribute advice sheets to their patients containing information on how they can help themselves by exercising and engaging in other activities.
Reflection on Self-Awareness and Resilience
People tend to engage in stereotyping quite frequently in their life, and I am not an exception. When I tried to analyze my stereotyping behaviors, I always came to the conclusion that it was unintentional. Moreover, when I realized the possible consequences of my words, I felt shame and wanted to apologize to the people whom I subjected to such unfair treatment. Nowadays, I always strive to be polite and understand that stereotyping is wrong and should not be used by people. Additionally, whenever I hear someone engage in stereotyping, I always try to tell them about it and explain why such behavior is unacceptable.
I believe that I am quite honest about my views of others because I avoid generalizing about people based on their inherent qualities and characteristics. Essentially, when I consider the actions or words of other people, I prefer not to rely on stereotypes. Instead, I analyze every person separately and make conclusions only about their personal conduct. As a result, I manage to be relatively objective and impartial in my judgments. At the same time, occasionally, I may experience strong emotions in certain people, which may prevent me from adhering to the principle of honesty when I form my view of them.
Have any of your opinions been challenged through the learning?
The learning enabled me to once again consider my behavior and even certain opinions about Parkinson’s disease. Previously, I believed that Parkinson’s disease patients have better access to healthcare services and generally do not face any substantial social stigma. Yet, the research has shown that people affected by Parkinson’s disease may experience considerable problems, both mental and physical. Such information has enabled me to change my opinion on people with Parkinson’s disease and to understand that more efforts need to be put toward the inclusion of such people.
The research also made me want to change my approach or avoid making assumptions not based on actual evidence. As a result, in the future, before talking of people affected by any kind of disease, I will first ensure to conduct a thorough research about the experiences encountered by such people. By employing such a strategy, I will be able to avoid making false claims and will not engage in stereotyping. Another aspect that I would like to enhance is the ability to recognize my wrong views and stereotypes more quickly and be more conscious of what I think and say to other people.
At the same time, I also can be subject to stereotyping, and I have learned several ways of coping with it. First of all, I need to address stereotyping behavior aimed at me by talking to people who engage in it to discuss with them the reasons why they hold such beliefs. I am certain that stereotyping results from a lack of knowledge, and therefore, educating people can effectively address their stereotyping behaviors. Additionally, the understanding that the main cause of stereotyping is ignorance, I will not take such behavior seriously.
Conclusion
Parkinson’s disease affects many different populations, especially older males, and such individuals are often subject to stereotyping. Parkinson’s disease is a debilitating condition that negatively impacts people’s movement and even their speech ability. The standard symptoms of the condition include tremors, difficulty with walking, stiffness, impaired balance, and a facial mask. Due to stereotyping, people with Parkinson’s disease are often viewed as mentally challenged and delusional. Moreover, such individuals are also concerned about being anti-social and are unwilling to communicate with others. The implications of stereotyping for Parkinson’s disease patients include depression, lack of support, suicidal ideation, absence of access to healthcare services, and assistance from family members. In order to address the existing problems, Parkinson’s disease patients need to receive support from charities and the state. People affected by Parkinson’s disease patients should have employment opportunities if they are ready to work and need specialized care and state benefits.
Reference List
Chambers, C., and Ryder, E. (2018) Compassion and caring in nursing. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press.
Da Silva, A. G. et al. (2019) ‘Difficulties in activities of daily living are associated with stigma in patients with Parkinson’s disease who are candidates for deep brain stimulation,’ Brazilian Journal of Psychiatry, 42(2), pp. 1–5.
Dorsey, E. R et al. (2018) ‘Global, regional, and national burden of Parkinson’s disease, 1990–2016: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2016,’ The Lancet Neurology, 17(11), pp. 939–953.
Maffoni, M. et al. (2017) ‘Stigma experienced by Parkinson’s disease patients: a descriptive review of qualitative studies,’ Parkinson’s Disease, 2017, pp. 1–7.
Radder, D. et al. (2017) ‘Physical therapy and occupational therapy in Parkinson’s disease,’ International Journal of Neuroscience, 127(10), 930–943.
Salazar, R. D. et al. (2018) ‘Predictors of self-perceived stigma in Parkinson’s disease,’ Parkinsonism & Related Disorders, 60, pp. 76–80.
Stuckenschneider, T. et al. (2021) ‘Disease‐inclusive exercise classes improve physical fitness and reduce depressive symptoms in individuals with and without Parkinson’s disease—A feasibility study,’ Brain and Behavior, 11(10), pp. 1–11.